found on the North-east Coast of Ireland, 81 



portion of albumen enters into the composition of these bodies ; 

 for the beroe becomes more opaque, and in some degree coagu- 

 lated, when thrown into alcohol or into boiling water. 



While engaged in making some observations on the appear- 

 ance exhibited under a lens by the cilia when in motion, I found 

 to my surprise that the liglit afforded by a pair of candles 

 was more favourable for such a purpose than even that of the 

 sun. The rays of that luminary were colourless as the body of 

 the beroe, and passed through it as they would have done 

 through a piece of crystal. The yellower and weaker rays of 

 the candle had a different effect. Impeded in their course, they 

 coloured the animal with a tint different from that of the sea- 

 water by which it was surrounded, and exhibited in darker 

 shadings the portions of the body which were less translucent 

 than the adjacent parts. Numerous dark, irregular, and some- 

 what parallel lines, were thus brought into view, extending the 

 entire length of each band. The imperfect instruments I pos- 

 sessed prevented any observations as to the functions performed 

 by these parts in the economy of the animal. 



All the ferrymen, sailors, and boat-builders about the shores 

 of Larne Lough, and the passengers, who at all hours during 

 the day were passing to and from Island Magee, seemed utterly 

 unacquainted with the existence of such a creature as the beroe. 

 On many occasions, they expressed in the strongest terms their 

 admiration at its appearance and movements; and it was no un- 

 usual circumstance for half a dozen of individuals to surround 

 me on my landing, and ask permission to see my captures. It 

 was at such times, when the heroes had just been taken from 

 the water, that they exhibited in the highest perfection their 

 locomotive powers, and displayed in the bright sunshine a splen- 

 did iridescence of colouring caused by the action of their cilia. 

 As they wheeled onwards, rising and falling at pleasure, and 

 creating in their course the glory by which they were encircled, 

 they seemed indeed, though in a sense different from that of the 

 poet, 



" Gay creatures o' the element, 



That in the colours of the rainbow live." 



The variety of their movements constituted one of their prin- 

 cipal charms. Sometimes they would ascend from the bottom 



