374 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



the entrance of bodies so excessively slender would of 

 itself inflict little injury; there is evidently the infusion 

 at the same time of a highly subtle poison into the wound ; 

 some venomous fluid escaping with the discharge of the 

 ecthoreum, which has the power, at least when augmented 

 by the simultaneous insertion of scores, or hundreds, of 

 the weapons, of suddenly arresting animal vigour and 

 speedily destroying life, even in creatures — fishes, for 

 example — far higher than the Zoophyte in the scale of 

 organisation. I have seen a little fish in perfect health 

 come into accidental contact with one of the acontia of 

 an irritated Sagartia, when all the evidences of distress 

 and agony were instantly manifested ; the little creature 

 darted wildly to and fro, turned over, sank upon the 

 bottom, struggled, flurried, and was dead. 



Admitting the existence of a venomous fluid, it is diffi- 

 cult to imagine where it is lodged, and how it is injected. 

 The first thought that occurs to one's mind is, that it is 

 the organic fluid which we have seen to fill the cnida, and 

 to be forced through the everting tubular ecthoreum. Bu t 

 if so, it cannot be ejected through the extremity of the 

 ncthoreum, because if this were an open tube, I do not see 

 how the contraction of the fluid in the cnida could force it 

 to evolve ; the fluid would escape through the still inverted 

 tube. It is j ust possible that the barbs may be tubes opei 1 

 at the tips, and that the poison-fluid may be ejected 

 through these. But I rather incline to the hypothesis, 

 that the cavity of the ecthoreum, in its primal inverted 

 condition, while it yet remains coiled up in the cnida, is 

 occupied with the potent fluid in question, and that it 

 is poured out gradually within the tissues of the victim, 

 as the evolving tip of the wire penetrates farther and 

 farther into the wound. 



I do not think that the whole range of organic exist- 

 ence affords a more wonderful example than this of the 

 minute workmanship and elaboration of the parts ; the 



