252 OCTOBER. 



long tentacles. Each of these is an excessively slender 

 ribbon of contractile substance, connected at its base 

 with a translucent bag, and carrying at short intervals 

 throughout its length semi-rings of thread-cells (cnidce), 

 similar to those of onr Sea-anemones, but of far more 

 deadly virulence. Mr. Bennett, who, for the sake 

 of science, ventured to test their powers, has left us a 

 terrific account of his sufferings. "On one occasion," 

 he says, " I tried the experiment of its stinging powers 

 upon myself, intentionally ; when, on seizing it by the 

 bladder portion, it raised the long cables by muscular 

 contraction of the bands situated at the base of the 

 feelers, and, entwining the slender appendages about 

 my hand and finger, inflicted severe and peculiarly 

 pungent pain, adhering most tenaciously at the same 

 time, so as to be extremely difficult of removal. The 

 stinging continued during the whole time that the 

 minutest portion of the tentacula remained adherent to 

 the skin. I soon found that the effects were not merely 

 confined to the acute pungency inflicted, but produced 

 a great degree of constitutional irritation : the pain ex- 

 tended upwards along the arm, increasing not only in 

 extent but in severity, apparently acting along the 

 course of the absorbents, and could only be compared 

 to a severe rheumatic attack ; the pulse was accelerated, 

 and a feverish state of the whole system was produced ; 



