72 BAHIA BLANC A. [CHAP. v. 



enormous boas, which they call Uji, or water serpents, in the same 

 lethargic state. To re-animate them they must be irritated or wetted 

 with water." 



I will only mention one other animal, a zoophyte (I believe Virgularia 

 Patagonica), a kind oi sea-pen. It consists of a thin, straight, fleshy 

 stem, with alternate rows of polypi on each side, and surrounding an 

 elastic stony axis, varying in length from eight inches to two feeL 

 The stem at one extremity is truncate, but at the other is terminated by 

 a vermiform fleshy appendage. The stony axis which gives strength 

 to the stem may be traced at this extremity into a mere vessel filled 

 with granular matter. At low water hundreds of these zoophytes 

 might be seen, projecting like stubble, with the truncate end upwards, 

 a few inches above the surface of the muddy sand. When touched or 

 pulled they suddenly drew themselves in with force, so as nearly or 

 quite to disappear. By this action, the highly elastic axis must be bent 

 at the lower extremity, where it is naturally slightly curved ; and I 

 imagine it is by this elasticity alone that the zoophyte is enabled to rise 

 again through the mud. Each polypus, though closely united to its 

 brethren, has a distinct mouth, body, and tentacula. Of these polypi, 

 in a large specimen, there must be many thousands ; yet we see that 

 they act by one movement ; they have also one central axis connected 

 with a system of obscure circulation, and the ova are produced in an 

 organ distinct from the separate individuals.* Well may one be 

 allowed to ask, what is an individual ? It is always interesting to dis- 

 cover the foundation of the strange tales of the old voyagers; and I 

 have no doubt but that the habits of this Virgularia explain one such 

 case. Captain Lancaster, in his voyage t in 1601, narrates that on the 

 sea-sands of the Island of Sombrero, in the East Indies, he " found a 

 small twig growing up like a young tree, and on offering to pluck it up 

 it shrinks down to the ground, and sinks, unless held very hard. On 

 being plucked up, a great worm is found to be its root, and as the tree 

 groweth in greatness, so doth the worm diminish ; and as soon as the 

 worm is entirely turned into a tree it rooteth in the earth, and so 



* The cavities leading from the fleshy compartments of the extremity 

 were filled with a yellow pulpy matter, which, examined under a micro- 

 scope, presented an extraordinary appearance. The mass consisted of 

 rounded, semi-transparent, irregular grains, aggregated together into par- 

 ticles of various sizes. All such particles, and the separate grains, possessed 

 the power of rapid movement ; generally revolving around different axes, 

 but sometimes progressive. The movement was visible with a very weak 

 power, but even with the highest its cause could not be perceived. It was 

 very different from the circulation of the fluid in the elastic bag, containing 

 the thin extremity of the axis. On other occasion."?, when dissecting small 

 marine animals beneath the microscope, I have seen particles of pulpy matter, 

 some of large size, as soon as they were disengaged, commence revolving. 

 I have imagined, I know not with how much truth, that this granulo-pulpy 

 matter was in process of being converted into ova. Certainly in this zoophyte 

 such appeared to be the case. 



f Keir's "Collection of Voyages," vol viii, p. lip. 



