JELLY-FISHES. 367 



of deep purple. These collections of coloured granules, 

 which I have already explained to be rudimentary eyes, 

 have a very charming eftect, and give a 

 beautiful appearance to the little crea- 

 ture, as if its translucent crystalline 

 head were encircled with a coronet 

 of gems. 



You shall see them, however, un- 

 der circumstances which will make TnAu.MA>-TiA8. 

 them appear more lustrously gcmmeous still. Come 

 with me, and I will carry the glass containing our little 

 Thaumantias into the next room. You need not bring 

 the candle, or what I am going to show you will be 

 quite invisible. 



Take hold of this pencil, and having felt for the 

 glass, disturb the water with it. Ha! what a circle 

 of tiny lamps flashes out ! You struck the body of the 

 Thaximanttas with the pencil, and instantly, under 

 the stimulus of alarm, every purple eye became a 

 phosphoric flame. Touch it again ; again the crown 

 of light flashes out, but less brilliantly; and each tiny 

 lamp after sparkling tremulously for a moment, wanes, 

 and the whole gradually, but quickly, go out, and all 

 is dark again. 



But it is tired of lighting up for nothing — or its 

 gas is exhausted — or it is become used to the pencil 

 and is not alarmed — or, at all events, you may knock 

 it, and push it, but it refuses to shine any more. Back 

 with it then to the microscope, and let us see if it pos- 

 sesses any other points of interest for us there. 



Yes : we have not exhausted the organs of the 

 margin yet. Between the tentacles which spring 

 from bulbs there are a good many more, far more 



