“The ocean’s produce to explore. As floating by, or rolling on the shore, Those living jellies which the flesh inflame, Fierce as a nettle, and from that their name: Some in huge masses, some that you may bring In the small compass of a lady’s ring; Figured by hand Divine—there’s not a gem Wrought by man’s art to be compared to them; Soft, brilliant, tender, through the wave they glow, And make the moonbeams brighter where they flow. Involved in sea‐wrack, here you find a race Which science doubting, knows not where to place. On shell or stone is dropped the embryo seed, And quickly vegetates a vital breed; While thus with pleasing wonder you inspect Treasures the vulgar in their scorn reject.” CHAPTER XI. THE OCEAN AND ITS LIVING WONDERS (_continued_). The Madrepores—Brain, Mushroom, and Plantain Coral—The Beautiful Sea‐anemones; their Organisation and Habits; their Insatiable Voracity—The Gorgons—Echinodermata—The Star‐fish—Sea Urchins—Wonderful Shell and Spines—An Urchin’s Prayer—The Sea Cucumber—The Trepang, or Holothuria—Trepang Fishing—Dumont d’Urville’s Description—The Commerce in this Edible—The Molluscs—The Teredo, or Ship‐worm—Their Ravages on the Holland Coast—The Retiring Razor‐fish—The Edible Mussel—History of their Cultivation in France—The Bouchots—Occasional Danger of Eating Mussels—The Prince of Bivalves—The Oyster and its Organisation—Difference in Size—American Oysters—High Priced in some Cities—Quantity Consumed in London—Courteous Exchange—Roman Estimation of them—The “Breedy Creatures” brought from Britain—Vitellius and his Hundred Dozen—A Sell: Poor Tyacke—The First Man who Ate an Oyster—The Fisheries—Destructive Dredging—Lake Fusaro and the Oyster Parks—Scientific Cultivation in France—Success and Profits—The Whitstable and other Beds—System pursued. Among the interesting and comparatively familiar forms of ocean’s treasures must be counted the Madrepores, often regarded as corals, but quite distinct as a scientific group from the precious coral of commerce. The Madreporidæ are very numerous, and are formed by colonies of polyps. The poet has truly described them:— “I saw the living pile ascend The mausoleum of its architects, Still dying upward as their labour closed: Slime the material, but the slime was turned To adamant by their petrific touch.”