CLASSIFICATION. 71 
nating in a ciliated cup, thus forming an elegant little 
branched Vorticed/a. It differed from the one I first men- 
tioned, not only by being much more minute and more fas- 
tigiate, the first being rather dichotomous and the terminat- 
ing cells placed at different heights, but also as being less 
lively, not having the habit of suddenly collapsing, but con- 
tinuing in an unfolded state. “ Vorticel/e, in general, can 
bend and turn and twist in all directions; they can almost 
cast a knot on their tender and delicate stems. Microscopic 
shrubs composed of similar animals, hundreds of campanu- 
late Hydre terminating their extremities, while at their 
highest enjoyment of full expansion in some favourable posi- 
tion, will suddenly collapse on a momentary alarm, crouching 
close down to its root in absolute quiescence. ‘Then, as if 
relieved from the apprehension of danger, they rise again to 
display their beautiful proportions.” 
What struck me as remarkable in this “ minim,” was, 
that it’ seemed indifferent as to its element, whether fresh or 
salt water; for having kept fresh-water in a tumbler for 
some weeks, I was surprised to find the Vorticel/@ as nume- 
rous in it as in the sea-water. ‘To all appearance they were 
the same species, and yet had they been examined with a 
microscope of higher power, a difference might have been 
