A close-up of the little ephyrula reveals some- 

 thing quite noteworthy. Each baby jellyfish is pro- 

 vided with eight primitive eyes. The eyes are like 

 minute scarlet dots located near the rim of the 

 umbrella at equidistant points and within the 

 forks of the little finger-like lappets which took 

 the place of the tentacles. A small transparent 

 pouch, or hood, protects each eye; and it is because 

 of this protective covering that the members of the 

 class to which Aurelia belongs are sometimes re- 

 ferred to as the "covered-eye medusae." This is the 

 lowest instance in the scale of life wherein the 

 eye appears as a structural organ. It is an eye, 

 however, that probably can distinguish nothing 

 more definite than the contrast between bright 

 light and deep shadow. 



By this time, also, a new set of tentacles has 

 made its appearance. Between the lappets and 

 around the under side of the rim they extend in a 

 veritable fringe. They look like short gossamer 

 strands. Their delicate sheen, their silky luster, 

 now of silver, now of gold, is soft, indescribably 

 soft — as might be the subtle reflection of some rare 

 texture spun from moonbeams . . . 



[378] 



