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T H 



N A T U R A 



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O R 



of the kind retain Co much of the vegetable nature, that, being cut in pieces, each 



part grows again into a per 

 of the parent flock. 



feet being of 



the fame form and like parts with thofe 



THALIA 1. Oblonga, crijld' perpendicular* comprejfa quadrat a > linen later a 



libus integris. Tab. 43. f. 3. 



The Thalia* witl 



i a fquare 



erect 



cr 



eft. 



THALIA 2. Oblonga caudata, crijld deprejjd rotunda^ lineis lateralibia 



interrupt is t Tab. 43, 4. 



The Thalia^ with a round depreffed creft. . 



p 



THALIA 3. Oblo?iga i lineis interrupts y caudd & crijld dejtituta. 



The fimple Thalia, 



Thefe bodies are of an oblong rounded form, tapering flowly towards both ends; 

 they are generally between three and four inches in 





length 



and better than one in 

 diameter, tranfparent, of a firm gelatinous confidence and hollow, each opening 

 by a fmall triangular aperture at the end next the creft, and by a narrow round 

 one at the oppofite extremity. They have each a fpiral line, of a milky colour, 

 which runs the whole length of the back, in the fubftance of the infect ; under 

 this appears another, larger, opake, ftraight, and fimple; which feems to be the 



gut or common refervoir of whatever ferves to nourifh it. And, on each fide, but 

 -lower than either of thefe, appears another, fmaller than either of thofe already 

 mentioned, and of a beautiful purple colour. 



They are natives of the ocean, and frequent about the weftern iflands, where 



I have obferved them in my voyage from *Jajnaica. They are generally found fingle, 

 and appear each with a fingle longitudinal white line in the water ; but, at times 

 you may obferve them in heaps, four, five, fix, or eight flicking lengthways toge 



j w*. .—^ . _ — r--j j — --» j -- — o O O J c> 



ther ; and then the mafs appears large, and furnifhed with many white lines. 



Whenever I met with thefe infects linked 



together 



m this manner, I obferved 



them to be all of the fame form, which made me divide them into fo many diffe- 

 rent fpecies. , 



BEROE 1. Radiis 0B0 longitudinalibus ciliatis. Tab. 43. f. 2. 



The Beroe. with eight ciliated longitudinal lines. 



This beautiful creature is of an oval form, obtufely octangular, hollow, open at 



the larger extremity, tranfparent, and 



of a 



firm gelatinous confidence; it con 



tracts and widens with great facility, but is always open and expanded when it 

 fwims or moves. The longitudinal radii are ftrongeft at the crown or fmaller ex- 

 tremity, where they rife from a very beautiful oblong flar, and diminifh gradually 

 from thence to the marsin : but each of them 



is furnifhed with a fingle feries 



of fhort, delicate, flender appendixes or limbs, that move with great celerity either 

 the one way or the other, as the creature pleafes to direct its flexions, and in a 

 regular accelerated fuccefiion from the top to the margin. It is impofTible to ex- 

 prefs the livelinefs of the motions of thofe delicate organs, or the beautiful variety 

 of colours that rife from them while they play to and fro in the rays of the fun ; 

 nor is it more eafy to exprefs the fpeed and regularity with which the motions 

 fucceed each other from the one end of the rays to the other. I have frequently 

 met with thefe infects to the north of the weftern iflands ; they feldom exceed 

 three inches and a half in length, or two and a half, in the largeft tranfverfe dia- 



meter. 



MEDUSA 



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