SEA-HARES. 143 
the loss of his arm. A better authority, Mr. Charles 
Darwin, found a species at St. Jago, the secretion 
trom which caused a sharp stinging sensation similar 
to that produced by the Physalza or Portuguese man 
of war.* 
_ The account given by Bohadtch is remarkably 
clear and circumstantial. He tells us that the 
Lerneea (A. /eporina) abounds in the Bay of Naples, 
where the fishermen excused themselves for not 
bringing it to him, saying it was a filthy thing 
which stank abominably. When removed from 
the sea, and placed in a vessel, there exuded a 
large quantity of a limpid, somewhat mucilaginous 
fluid, exhaling a sweetish, sickening, peculiar 
smell: but besides this, and distinct from its purple 
secretion, the Aplysia excretes also a milky 
liquor, formed in an internal conglomerate gland, 
which seems to be analogous to the kidney of ver- 
tebrate animals. As often as he took the Aplysia 
from the vase of sea-water, and placed it on a plate 
with the view of more narrowly examining its 
structure, the room was filled with a most feetid, 
nauseous odour, compelling his wife and brother 
to leave the room, lest sickness and vomiting should 
follow. He himself could scarcely endure it, and 
during the examination had repeatedly to go out anc 
breathe a purer air. His hands and cheeks swelled 
after handling the creature for any length of time, 
and as often as it ejaculated its milky secretion ; 
but he is uncertain whether the swelling of the 
face proceeded from the halitus merely, or from 
having accidentally touched it with the hand 
besmeared with the liquid: probably the latter 
was the real cause, for when he purposely applied 
* Voy. Adv. and Beagle, iii 6. 
