EUDENDRIUM ITS POLYPS DECIDUOUS. 109 



ciduous, like the Hydrse of Tubularia, though perhaps 

 for another purpose, because it is not in them that in 

 this case the elements of posterity are met with. Of 

 eighty vigorous Hydrae which embellished the speci- 

 men represented in the Plate when first withdrawn 

 from the sea, only forty subsisted on the second day, 

 thirty on the third, twelve on the sixth, four on the 

 seventh, two on the eighth, and on the tenth there 

 were none the whole had fallen off. 



The head survives- its fall for a short time, or more 

 generally, it wastes away suddenly without falling. 

 Likewise its decomposition is rapid. Though many 

 may have wasted or fallen in the course of the night, 

 none are to be discovered at the bottom of the vessel 

 next morning. 



A nascent bud, however, soon rises within the hol- 

 low tube to replace the fallen polyps, precisely in the 

 same manner as in Tubularia indivisa. A beautiful 

 group of six or seven specimens, chiefly about 2| inches 

 high, bore numerous Hydrse on the 12th of February. 

 All had fallen in three days. But after twelve days 

 more, many new heads were flourishing, and many 

 buds in different stages appeared amongst them. The 

 distribution, proportionate increment and perfection 

 of the renovating parts rendered the aspect of this 

 group very interesting. Alike so were the subsequent 

 changes. After all the heads had fallen, no germina- 

 tion was perceptible on the 22nd of February. But 

 fifty or sixty buds appeared in forty hours, and in 

 another day that number had doubled. Almost all 

 the twigs were flourishing vigorously on the 2nd of 

 March. Above three-fourths of the heads had fallen 



