44 ^f i^^ PolypeV Arms. 



dryed, extremely brittle, and from the Small- 

 nefs of the Number here mentioned, were, 

 I believe, many of them broken off in this 

 Subjedt, fince we are told, Philofophkal 

 7ranfa5ttons^ N^. 57. That the Divifions of 

 the Branches in another of the fame Kind 

 were numbered as far as eighty one thoufand 

 nine hundred twenty, and that when the Fifli 

 was alive they might probably have been di- 

 ftinguifhed farther, all which flender Threads 

 through their whole Length have Clafpers 

 ifluing from them *. 



Defcribing alfo what he calls the Preke or 

 Poulps^ Polypus. 'Tis, he fays, a naked Fifh^ 

 having eight Fingers or Arms, fpread out al- 

 moll like the Rays of a Star-FiJJj^ and the 

 Mouth in a Manner in the Middle of them. 

 Their Arms ferve them both to fwim with, 

 and to attack their Prey. 



He remarks, that all Stars have their 

 Mouths in the Middle 5 but doubts of what 

 Ro NDELETius fays, that they feem to have 

 no other Paffage for their Excrement. He 

 adds, they take their Prcy as the PolypuSy 



* One of thefe Fiihes is to be feen, dryed and extended, 

 in the Boyal Socie/y's Repofitory, but its tubular Body is 

 taken away to make it Uq flit, and the fine Extremities of 

 its branching Arms are cut oiF, to bring it within the Com- 

 pafs of a Box whofe Diameter is about fourteen Inches. It 

 was taken in Majfachufets Bay near Newfoundland, and is faid, 

 by a Writing on the Box, to have had 81,920 Branches. 



and 



