188 HISTORY OF BHITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



their original arrangement, for they endeavoured to return 

 to it, and being at times successful in their efforts, they were 

 again found iii statu quo; but as this did not suit the fancy 

 of the operator, he fell upon means of preventing them from 

 undoing his work, and after a short trial of this novel con- 

 dition, they seemed quite satisfied with it, devoured their 

 prey as greedily as ever, yielded young ones as before from 

 their polype-bearing bodies, lived to a good old age, and 

 died surrounded by their offspring to the fourth or fifth 

 generation. 



" Rerum natura nusquam magis quam in minimis tota est." 



Plin. Nat. Hist. 



" Art thou proportion'd to the Hydra's length. 

 Who by his wounds received augmented strength ? 

 He raised a hundred hissing heads in air ; 

 When one I lopp'd, up sprang a dreadful pair ; 

 By his wounds fertile, and with slaughter strong, 

 Singly I quell'd him, and stretch'd dead along." — Ovid. Metam. 



1. Hydra viridis, the Green Hydra. (Plate XII. 

 fig. 39.) 



Hab. In ponds and ditches, on aquatic plants. 



Baker states, that the arms of the green Il/jdra are so short 

 that it cannot clasp round a small worm, but can only piuci 



