. Coral and atolls: a history and description of the Keeling-Cocos Islands, with an account of their fauna and flora, and a discussion of the method of development and transformation of coral structures in general. Coral reefs and islands. 58 CORAL AND ATOLLS Fig. Fwicjia: Living Specimen. are not rainbow-hued, but are, for the most part, of a yellowish or greenish colour, with here and there a purple colony, and here and there a pink one. The " fairy bowers," so often described, exist only in cer- tain spots where the water is sufficiently smooth to permit the more highly branch
. Coral and atolls: a history and description of the Keeling-Cocos Islands, with an account of their fauna and flora, and a discussion of the method of development and transformation of coral structures in general. Coral reefs and islands. 58 CORAL AND ATOLLS Fig. Fwicjia: Living Specimen. are not rainbow-hued, but are, for the most part, of a yellowish or greenish colour, with here and there a purple colony, and here and there a pink one. The " fairy bowers," so often described, exist only in cer- tain spots where the water is sufficiently smooth to permit the more highly branched forms to flourish. I'he most abundant type of growth is in the shape of a large rounded, solid rock. It is the clearness of the water that gives the whole charm to the beauty of the coral beds, for the water is of an indescribable blue, and so clear that the bottom is plainly to be seen in depths of over 30 feet. Through the blue water the living colonies are seen as little trees and rocks scattered about in a con- fusion of colour and form. The whole scene is made alive, by the flickering of the moving water and the darting forms of brilliant fish, in a manner that is altogether charming ; and the beauty of the whole water picture, rather than the beauty of the corals themselves, is the chief at- traction of the coral beds. Some of the corals are hard, and their colonies form massive boulders or branching stony growths (Zoantharia), ard some are soft and fleshy (Alcyonacea), and these spread out upon the rocks very much after the fashion of the fungi Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Jones, F. Wood (Frederic Wood), 1879-1954. London, Lovell Reeve & Co. , Ltd.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjonesfwo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
