THE POISON OF THE MURRY 



in unfolding twists which can come out of the creature, 

 if it is excited, through the mouth, or through the 

 orifices with which its trunk is pierced. It is interesting 

 to watch these creatures, when touched, first of all 

 contract, then sink, and at the same time expel and 

 spread around themselves the little spirals which jump 

 out like rockets at a firework display. But when they 

 are expelled, all is over; they cannot go back to their 

 old position. They become detached from their 



Fig. 28. — Thread-cell greatly enlarged. Above, the whole cell, with 

 the filament rolled up inside. Below, the cell when it has put 

 out the stinging filament. 



owner, break off and decompose, like organs that have 

 been cast aside, like excreta. 



In the extraordinary, many -faceted world of the 

 lower animals, the sea-anemones, in their capacity of 

 venomous creatures, are not alone. The pretty jelly-fish, 

 with body opaline in appearance, suspended in the water, 

 have tiny thread-cells on their flexible tentacles which 

 hang loosely in the water. Other floating creatures, 

 collections of polyps making up the class of Siphono- 

 phores, also have tentacles of the same sort, but rather 

 longer. This translucent population which fills the 

 upper levels of the sea with a myriad individuals also 

 has its poisonous creatures, invisible or difficult to see in 

 spite of their size. At the bathing season, we suddenly 

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