NEW BOOKS, WITH SHORT NOTICES. 259 



spindle-shaped bodies about tlic ^L of au inch in height, whose lower 

 extremities are of no greater thickuess than the thread from which 

 they spring ;• with a head-like lobe at the summit, separated from the 

 body by a constriction, immediately below which two lengthened arms 

 project in a direction towards the axis of the tube." Such is the 

 descrijition of the animals themselves, but the account of their move- 

 ments is still more wonderful. " The head-lobe of each one moves 

 to and fro freely on the neck, the body sways from side to side, but 

 still more vigorously backward and forward, frequently bending into 

 an arch in either direction ; while the long arms are widely expanded, 

 tossed wildly upward and then waved downward, as if to mimic the 

 actions of the most tumultuous human passions." The author then 

 proceeds to describe it minutely, and he gives the various ideas which 

 he formed of its nature and the class to which it belonged, eventually 

 coming to the conclusion that it is a hydi'oid polyp of the family 

 Corynidas. Further as to its specific name, Mr. Gosse says : " When 

 I see them surrounding the mansion of the Sabella, gazing as it were 

 after him as he retreats into his castle, flinging their wild arms over 

 its entrance and keeping watch with untiring vigilance until he re- 

 appears, it seems to require no very vivid fancy to imagine them so 

 many guardian demons ; and the Lares of the old Roman mythology 

 occurring to memory, I described the form under the scientific appel- 

 lation of Lar Sabellarum" 



The author's remarks on the subject of the cnidce of sea-anemones 

 are likewise of great interest, for he evidently speaks from consider- 

 able experience on the question. His chapter on these peculiar 

 organs deserves careful perusal ; meanwhile we may just quote his 

 concluding observations as to the possible function, and its mode of 

 performance, of these singular organs. He says, " admitting the exist- 

 ence of a venomous fluid, it is difficult to imagine where it is lodged 

 and how it is injected. The first thought that recurs to one's mind 

 is, that it is the organic fluid which we have seen to fill the cnida, and 

 to be forced through the everting tubular ecthoreum. But if so, it 

 cannot be ejected through the extremity of the ecthoreum, because if 

 this were an open tube, I do not see how the contraction of the fluid 

 in the cnida could force it to evolve ; the fluid would escape through 

 the still inverted tube. It is just possible that the barbs may be tubes 

 open at the tips, and that the poison fluid may be ejected through 

 these. But I rather incline to the hypothesis that the cavity of the 

 ecthoreum, in its primal inverted condition, lohile it yet remains coiled up 

 in the cnida, is occupied with the potent fluid in question, and that it 

 is poured out gradually within the tissues of the victim, as the 

 evolving tip of the wire penetrates further and further into the 

 wound." 



We trust we have quoted our author sufficiently to show that 

 while his style is simple, forcible, and clear, it is moreover purely 

 scientific, and we hope we have shown that his book is full of 

 interesting and instructive matter. We heartily wish it the success 

 it so well deserves. 



