278 THE WALKS ABROAD OF 



nothing but a gelatinous and shapeless mass. Never- 

 theless the budding naturalist without hesitating took 

 hold of it. 



" Oh ! and three times oh ! " he cried, quickly 

 withdrawing his hand from contact with the jelly- 

 fish. 



"What is the matter?" asked Le'on, whom this 

 cry had roused from his reverie. 



" The matter is that I have taken hold of a handful 

 of nettles. The ink of the Sepia, the prick of the 

 ' crazy-fish,' the sting of the jelly-fish I think I 

 have had my share of these things. When we have 

 got to ten we must chalk it up. Villainous creature ! 

 horrible and disgusting beast ! " he added while vigor- 

 ously rubbing his hand. 



" That is nothing," said Father Lucas, " who had 

 not thought it necessary to quit the tiller. Why, I 

 have seen in the tropics many other kinds, including 

 the Physaliae, great Medusae something like bladders 

 galleys, as the sailors call them." 



"Perhaps you mean the Physophora hydrostatica?" 

 said the doctor. 



"Yes, indeed; that was, I think, the name the 

 officers gave them. The bladder is surmounted by a 

 sort of crest, which serves as a sail to the jelly-fish. 

 Below are large twisted arms like corkscrews ; you 

 can see that from as far off as this. 



" The first time I made the acquaintance of these 



