42 



HYDROZOA. 



pole to pole of this translucent little orb, like lines of longitude upon 

 a globe, and placed at equal distances, are eiglit broad bands of more 

 consistence than the other portion of the body. On each of these 



; ^ 



Fig . 27.— CYDiPPE. 



bands are placed thirty or forty paddles, exactly comparable in their 

 shape to the floats upon the paddle-wheels of a steamboat ; and in 

 like manner by means of these the little creature rows itself along. 

 Man to move his wheels must have much cumbersome machinery — 

 the furnace, and the boiler, and the herculean arm, that makes the 

 enginery revolve. Nature w^ants none of these encumbrances ; her 

 paddles are themselves alive, and move at will with such degree of 

 force as may be needed, either at once or singly, or in groups, work- 

 ing with mutual consent in any way required. Thus do they all 

 row equally ; the little Beroe shoots meteor-like along, or if a few 

 relax their energy, wheels round in broad gyrations, or revolves upon 

 its axis witli inimitable ease and grace. 



Neither are nature's steamboats left ^Yitllout the 

 means of anchoring. Whoever has been on board 

 one of our sea-going leviathans must have been sur- 

 prised to see the massive anchors and the tons of 

 rope or iron cable coiled up in the hold, the labouring 

 capstan and the mighty gear required to run them 

 out or heave them up. With all this cumbrous load 

 nature dispenses. The Beroe, when it chooses, can 

 put forth from one end of its body what appear like 

 Ulaments of molten glass, which, as we watch them, 

 lengthen, as it were by magic, and from their sides 

 unfold transparent tendrils, like the tendrils of a 



