1 NATURE S TEACHINGS. 



substance. The upright, thin, pellucid plate has the appear- 

 ance of a fairy-like miniature sail, and apparently acted as 

 such when the creature was floating with its long and many- 

 tinted tentacles pendent from its lower surface. 



" Although widely distributed, they are seldom seen on our 

 own coast, although sometimes driven there from the warmer 

 regions by stress of wind and waves. 



" These little creatures had never before been seen at 

 Tenby, but when I asked a native bathing -woman whether she 

 knew their name, she immediately replied, 'Sea-butterflies.' 

 Although the name was evidently of her own invention, it was 

 most appropriate and poetical. I have always found the 

 Welsh people abound more than any other nation in pretty 

 and characteristic synonyms." ' 



In answer to a letter in which I asked the writer for some 

 further information concerning the Velella, sending also an 

 outline sketch of the animal, which I asked the writer to fill 

 in with the proper colours, I received the following reply : 



" I will do my best to answer your questions, and to give 

 you what information I can concerning the creatures. 



" When seen at Tenby, they were all floating on the surface 

 of the sea, the tentacles only being submerged. My specimens 

 floated for a very short time after capture, death following so 

 quickly that I was obliged to set to work at once with camel's- 

 hair brush and penknife to take away the gelatinous part. 

 Indeed, decomposition took place so rapidly, that Velellas and 

 myself were simultaneously threatened with extermination. 



"Both raft and sail were equally enveloped in a soft, 

 gelatinous covering, certainly not more than the sixteenth of 

 an inch in thickness, except under the centre of the raft, where 

 it became slightly thicker. The covering of the sail was 

 exceedingly thin, and like a transparent and almost invisible 

 soft skin. The sail is very firmly attached to the raft, as they 

 did not separate when decomposition began. 



" The tentacles were entirely composed of the same soft, 

 jelly-like substance as that of the envelope, and every part was 

 iridescent in a sort of vapoury transparent cloud of many- 

 tinted colours, blue and pale crimson predominating. I have 



* By sailors the Velella is popularly known by the name of " Sally-man ; " 

 .. Sallee-nian. 



