116 WONDERS OF REPRODUCTION. 



But here, as elsewhere, the crowning wonder pertains to the 

 process of reproduction. In all these Polyps the ordinary mode 

 of increase is by the process of gemmation, the medullary pith 

 continually pushing out new buds of the horny polypidom, which 

 eventually become developed into regular cup-shaped cells, from 

 the bottom of which new Polyps make their appearance. But in 

 several species, at certain seasons of the year, peculiar closed cap- 

 sules of a larger size than the ordinary cells are produced, and in 

 these a pulpy mass is gradually developed into a number of minute 

 ova, which ultimately make their escape as tiny Medusae the 

 eggs of the Polyp thus producing a swarm of indisputable Jelly- 

 fish ! But this is only half the wonder. In process of time these 

 Medusae, themselves produce eggs, from which spring, not young 

 Medusae, but Polyps in every respect identical with the original 

 stock. Thus the Polyps produce Medusae, which again produce 

 Polyps; as in a former chapter we saw that the Medusae 

 produced Polyps, which in due time resolved themselves into 

 Medusae. 



It is evident, therefore, that the relation between these two 

 classes of apparently most dissimilar forms of life is of the closest 

 and most intimate nature ; nor is it surprising extravagant as 

 the idea may appear at first that many naturalists should 

 regard the class of Polyps, of which we have been speaking, 

 as nothing more than the early immature forms of bona fide 

 Jelly-fish. 



But marvellous as is the structure and history of these tiny 

 Polyps, they make such an insignificant show in the Aquarium, 

 that by incurious observers they would be passed by as unde- 

 serving of attention. Not so is it, hoAvever, with the Polypes 

 of another order, which are the most conspicuous and attractive 

 objects that the Aquarium contains, and are pre-eminently the 

 pets of the establishment. It would never do, however, to play 

 one's best card thus early in the chapter ; so that merely entering 

 an appearance for them here, we must postpone for a while all 

 that we have to say on those popular beauties, the Sea- Ane- 

 mones. 



Between fish and Star-fish there is a wider interval in nature 

 than the names alone would indicate. The two races, indeed, 

 have very little in common, and stand, in somewhat analogous 

 positions, at nearly the two opposite extremes of the animal king- 



