THE TEIOPE. 39 



a penknife, or a bit of stick cut to a point, must be in- 

 serted under it ; thus we lift it, and drop it into the 

 ready phial of clear water. It opens instantly, sprawl- 

 ing even before it reaches the bottom, where it at once 

 begins to crawl, and we detect in our prize the lovely 

 little Triope. 1 



As it swiftly glides up the glass, we see that it has 

 an oblong body of a pellucid white hue, curiously beset 

 with finger- like appendages. There is a row of some 

 half-dozen or so fringing the front of the head ; and 

 down a line on each side of the body, margining the 

 mantle, there is a row of larger ones, and all these are 

 tipped with the richest orange colour. Just behind the 

 frontal points there are two club-shaped organs, which 

 start up out of holes, the sides of which form sheaths 

 for them, into which they can be withdrawn at the will 

 of the animal These organs carry a number of narrow 

 plates set parallel to each other, diagonally pointing 

 backwards and downwards. Doubtless, this structure 

 is intended to augment the sensitive powers of these 

 curious organs, which are understood to be the tentacles. 



Then, in the middle line of the back, but placed a 

 little nearer the tail than the head, there is an orifice, 

 which is the vent ; remarkable because the breathing 

 organs are arranged partly around it. There are three 



1 Triopa clavigera. 



