ECONOMY OF THE ANNELIDES. 247 



else to express a judgment on these creatures, from 

 the care and labour which he has bestowed on the 

 study of them. 



" It is not easy to express the pleasure which is 

 excited in the mind of the observer of nature, while 

 contemplating the habit and manners of the Annelida. 

 Every movement exemplifies the curve of beauty; 

 every tentacle winds ceaselessly and rapidly through 

 a thousand forms of matchless grace. Whether coil- 

 ing round a visible object, or picking up a micro- 

 scopic molecule for the construction of the cell, it 

 exhibits a delicacy and precision of aim, which the 

 erudite finger of the most skilful artisan never equalled. 

 The refined precision of its muscular performances, is 

 matched only by its exquisite sensibility. Like the 

 human hand, of which the manifold endowments have 

 exhausted the admiring eloquence of philosophers 

 and theologians, it unites in its little self the most 

 varied capacities. It is at once an eye, an ear, a nose, 

 and a finger : it sees, it hears, it smells, it touches. 

 Leading for the most part a subaqueous or subter- 

 ranean life, the sense of sight in the Annelid is little 

 required : and gifted in every part of the body with 

 a superlative tenderness of touch, the sense of hearing 

 is rendered unnecessary. Anatomy accordingly demon- 

 strates only the obscurest rudiments of an organ of 

 vision, while that of hearing has eluded the scrutiny 

 of the minutest examination. Is it not to be marvelled 

 at, that these humble beings should see without eyes, 

 and smell without a nose? It is not affimied that 

 this is literally and entirely true ; but it is exact to 

 a degree enough to prove the wondrous manner in 



