THE GELATINOUS ANIMALS. 271 



GENUS.— MEDUSA* 



GELATINOUS ANIMALS OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



I am sure there are but few of my readers who have visited 

 the ocean, but must have had opportunities of seeing- speci- 

 mens of this very extraordinary genus of animals, which 

 have the appearance and consistence of a whitish gelatinous 

 substance, of a round form, and when left by the sands 

 dissolve into a fluid. 



It was to this remarkable genus of animals that Linnaeus 

 applied the name of Medusa. They are more numerous 

 than they have hitherto been supposed, and, by the pecu- 

 liax-ities of structure, this family is increased to more than a 

 hundred and fifty species. The following is a description 

 of their paradoxical singularities. 



The generic characters of these animals are a gelatinous, 

 orbicular body, flat generally underneath ; mouth central 

 beneath. They consist mostly of a tender gelatinous trans- 

 parent mass, of different figures, furnished with arms or 

 tentacular processes, proceeding from the lower surface. 

 The large species when touched cause a slight tingling and 

 redness : hence they are called sea-nettles. They shine with 

 great splendour in the water. The form of the body differs 

 in different species, but when at rest is generally the seg- 

 ment of a sphere ; they swim well, and appear to perform 

 that motion by rendering their body more or less convex, 

 and thus striking the water. When left on shore they are 

 motionless and appear more like flat gelatinous cakes than 

 living animals. 



* Synonvme.— Sea Blubber, or Jelly Fish. Sea Nettles. Norn. Vxdg. 



