THE WALKS ABROAD OF 



looking through the microscope, Rene was engaged 

 in examining this. 



" There are cuttle-fish in your pond," said he all 

 at once, pointing out a mass of gelatinous arms in 

 constant movement near the surface of the liquid. 



What he mistook for cuttle-fish was merely a 

 colony of hydras, freshwater polypes creatures 

 which may vie with any others in tenacity of life, 

 according to the celebrated experiments made by du 

 Tremblay. 



Du Tremblay, when he made these observations, was 

 a schoolmaster in some little town, I have forgotten 

 which, in Holland, Jost in the midst of marshes. These 

 marshes were peopled by many of the freshwater 

 polyps called hydras, and, in the absence of other 

 amusements, this naturalist found a pleasure in study- 

 ing them. He first noticed that these animals can be 

 multiplied by division, and that to obtain two hydras, 

 it was sufficient to cut one Hydra into two pieces. 

 Having settled this point, he examined their organ- 

 isation. It is certainly not very complicated. The 

 body of a Hydra consists simply of a bag, the inside 

 of which forms the stomach. By exercising skill 

 and patience du Tremblay managed to turn one of 

 these polyps inside out, somewhat like a glove, so 

 that what was stomach became outside and vice versa. 

 The experiment was a success: the polyp seemed 

 quite comfortable notwithstanding this remarkable 

 change in his personality. 



