SOCIAL " CROWNED HEADS." 131 



opening and expanding ; then on the approach, or 

 in apparently nervous apprehension of danger, the 

 whole colony suddenly shrinking or collapsing, and 

 being enfolded within an hitherto unperceived 

 refuge (a gelatinous envelope, the combined pro- 

 duct, as it is now the common refuge, of each 

 individual member, always in order, and ready for 

 every emergency), and now again slowly coming 

 forth, as the sense of security returns, in all their 

 flowing, flossy, shimmering loveliness. No one can 

 contemplate them without feeling the blessedness 

 inherent in the innermost circle of Nature's opera- 

 tions, and rejoicing in perception of the meaning 

 of such beneficent tendencies. 



The gelatinous or jelly-like refuge above re- 

 ferred to is a beneficent arrangement as a pro- 

 tection and defence, and also as a bond of physical 

 union. Lift from the water a sprig of the Ana- 

 cliaris to which these creatures are attached, and 

 you see them as minute patches or droplets of 

 jelly, which, holding sufficient moisture to sustain 

 life for a considerable period, also serves as the 

 best protection against rough usage or accidental 

 impact with hard bodies. Replace the plant in the 

 J 2 



