Reviews and Notices of BooJcs, 65 



Not only are they stretched under all possible angles from the main 

 stem, at times seeming perpendicular to it, or bent more or less in the 

 same direction, and again as if combed into one mass ; but a moment 

 afterwards every thread seems to be curled or waving, the main thread 

 being straight or undulating ; then the shorter threads will be stretched 

 straight for some distance and then suddenly bent at various angles 

 upon themselves, and perhaps repeat such zigzags several times, or they 

 may be stretched in one direction and bent at various angles in the 

 plane of another direction ; then they may be coiled up from the tip 

 and remain hanging like pearls suspended by a delicate thread to the 

 main stem, or like a broken whip be bent in an acute angle upon them- 

 selves with as stiff an appearance as if the whole were made up of wires ; 

 and, to complete the wonder, a part of the length of the main thread 

 will assume one appearance and another part another, and pass from 

 one into the other in the quickest possible succession : so that I can 

 truly say, I have not known in the animal kingdom an organism exhib- 

 iting more sudden changes and presenting more diversified and beautiful 

 images, the action meanwhile being produced in such a way as hardly 

 to be understood. For, when expanded, these th/eads resemble rather 

 a delicate fabric spun with the finest spider's thread, at times brought 

 close together, combed in one direction without entangling, next 

 stretched apart, and preserving in this evolution the most perfect paral- 

 lelism among themselves, and at no time and under no circumstances 

 confusing the fringes of the two threads : they may cross each other, 

 they may be apparently entangled throughout their length, but let the 

 animal suddenly contract, and all these innumerable interwoven fringes 

 unfold, contract, and disappear, reduced as it were to one little drop of 

 most elastic india-rubber. "Week after week I have preserved these 

 animals alive, and have never been tired of comparing again and 

 again their changes in these thousand-fold developments of their appen- 

 dages. I have called together those who felt the slightest curiosity for 

 such objects to witness these phenomena, and have found them all 

 interested to the utmost ; and if I have anything to regret, it is not the 

 time lost in this contemplation, — for the more I became familiar with 

 the sight, the more was I impressed with its beauty, as I could contrast 

 with the new forms presenting themselves before my eyes those different 

 states with which I had been familiar before, — but the circumstance 

 that the time was too short to trace such a connection between all the 

 microscopic details of their structure and their functions, as would fully 

 explain the latter ; although I am aware that I have noticed many par- 

 ticulars which had not been observed before." 



The following statements show that these creatures possess 

 both vision and intellio-ence. 



" Having recently seen myriads of these animals, it may not be super- 

 fluous to add, that all the various attitudes in which I have formerly 

 seen them in confinement may be observed at one glance, when coming 



Can. Nat. 5 Vol. VI. 



