tin-box, which had held biscuits, the lid being secured with wire; but
the crab turned down the edges and escaped. In turning down the edges,
it actually punched many small holes quite through the tin!
I was a good deal surprised by finding two species of coral of the
genus Millepora (M. complanata and alcicornis), possessed of the power
of stinging. The stony branches or plates, when taken fresh from the
water, have a harsh feel and are not slimy, although possessing a
strong and disagreeable smell. The stinging property seems to vary in
different specimens: when a piece was pressed or rubbed on the tender
skin of the face or arm, a pricking sensation was usually caused, which
came on after the interval of a second, and lasted only for a few
minutes. One day, however, by merely touching my face with one of the
branches, pain was instantaneously caused; it increased as usual after
a few seconds, and remaining sharp for some minutes, was perceptible
for half an hour afterwards. The sensation was as bad as that from a
nettle, but more like that caused by the Physalia or Portuguese
man-of-war. Little red spots were produced on the tender skin of the
arm, which appeared as if they would have formed watery pustules, but
did not. M. Quoy mentions this case of the Millepora; and I have heard
of stinging corals in the West Indies. Many marine animals seem to
have this power of stinging: besides the Portuguese man-of-war, many
jelly-fish, and the Aplysia or sea-slug of the Cape de Verd Islands, it
is stated in the voyage of the Astrolabe, that an Actinia or
sea-anemone, as well as a flexible coralline allied to Sertularia, both
possess this means of offence or defence. In the East Indian sea, a
stinging sea-weed is said to be found.
Two species of fish, of the genus Scarus, which are common here,
exclusively feed on coral: both are coloured of a splendid
bluish-green, one living invariably in the lagoon, and the other
amongst the outer breakers. Mr. Liesk assured us, that he had
repeatedly seen whole shoals grazing with their strong bony jaws on the
tops of the coral branches: I opened the intestines of several, and
found them distended with yellowish calcareous sandy mud. The slimy
disgusting Holuthuriae (allied to our star-fish), which the Chinese
gourmands are so fond of, also feed largely, as I am informed by Dr.
Allan, on corals; and the bony apparatus within their bodies seems well
adapted for this end. These Holuthuriae, the fish, the numerous
burrowing shells, and nereidous worms, which perforate every block of
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