VERMES. 69 
the lubricating matter investing the body. Its abundant secretion is 
essential to protect the animal, or to facilitate the progress of so unwieldy 
a creature among the indurated substances. 
Length and lubricity combine in endangering removal amidst mis- 
cellaneous collections. The specimen not only slips readily from among 
the fingers, but in proportion to the quantity extricated, the hazard of 
rupture is augmented. It will generally free itself gradually, rising up 
to the side of a vessel, especially if some impurity be imparted to the 
water. But force is never to be employed, or more than sweeping the 
whole parts together with a feather when liberated. 
The Sea Long Worm obviously lives a number of years. Its extra- 
ordinary dimensions, independently of direct evidence, would be a strong 
presumption of the fact. Yet the slightest abrasion of the skin seems 
incurably fatal. 
When clean hard substances, empty shells, stones, glass cylinders, 
and the like, are introduced into their vessels, these creatures quickly 
take advantage of their vicinity by encircling them, and thus preserving 
their body from injury, as security against abrasion and rupture. It is 
always wound around very firm and solid substances. 
A large specimen of a brownish or greyish colour, not of the fine 
velvet black, first occupied the valves of an empty oyster shell. Innu- 
merable white ova, almost like dust, appeared in its vessel, on the 21st 
of May ; but I know not whether mature, as the animal was ruptured. 
A group from the rent was delineated, fig. 8, and several free, fig. 9 ; both 
figures enlarged. They were white and perfectly spherical, and in myriads, 
so that their multitude had probably effected the eruption of the parent. 
The delicacy of all the aquatic vermicular tribes, exposes them to 
destruction from very slight vitiation of their element. They endea- 
vour to escape by ascending the side of the vessel, so as to be nearer 
the surface. Some, without any impurity of the water, are induced, by 
the smoothness of the glass, to crawl so far as to be scarcely able to re- 
cover the place they have quitted, and frequently become agglutinated 
to the spot, where they perish. 
