JELLY-FISHES. 307 



CHAPTER XVII. 



JELLY FISHES. 



As this afternoon was delightfully calm and warm, the 

 very model of an autumnal day, I took my muslin ring- 

 net and walked down to the rocks at the margin of the 

 quiet sea. Nor was I disappointed ; for the still water, 

 scarcely disturbed by an undulation, and clear as crystal, 

 was alive with those brilliant little globes of animated jelly, 

 the Ciliograde and Naked-eyed Medusae, apparently little 

 more substantial than the clear water itself. Multitudes 

 of them were floating on the surface, and others were 

 discerned by the practised eye, at various depths, shoot- 

 ing hither and thither, now ascending, now descending, 

 now hanging lightly on their oars, and now, as if to 

 make up for sloth, darting along obliquely with quickly- 

 repeated vigorous strokes, or rolling and revolving along, 

 in the very wantonness of humble happiness. 



After gazing awhile with admiration at the undisturbed 

 jollity of the hosts, I made a dip with my net, the interior 

 of which, on lifting it from the water, was lined with 

 sparkling balls of translucent jelly. They were far too 

 numerous to allow me to transfer them all to captivity ; 

 they would soon have choked up and destroyed one 

 another ; I therefore selected the finest and most interest- 

 ing, shaking an example or two of each kind into my 

 glass jar of sea-water, where they immediately began to 

 frolic and revel as if still in the enjoyment of unrestricted 

 liberty. And here they are. 



Among these bright and agile beings which are shooting 



x 2 



