834 



A HISTORY OF 



plying their numbers. They had been long 

 considered as little worthy the attention of 

 observers, and were consigned to that neglect 

 in which thousands of minute species of in- 

 sects remain to this very day. It is true, in- 

 deed, that Reaumur observed, classed, and 

 named them. By contemplating their mo- 

 tions, he was enabled distinctly to pronounce 

 on their being of the animal, and not of the 

 vegetable kingdom ; and he called them Poly- 

 pi, from their great resemblance to those 

 larger ones that were found in the ocean. 

 Still, however, their properties were neglect- 

 ed, and their history unknown. 



Mr. Trembley was the person to whom we 

 owe the first discovery of the amazing proper- 

 ties and powers of this little vivacious creature. 

 He divided this class of animals into four dif- 

 ferent kinds: into those inclining to green, 

 those of a brownish cast, those of a (lesh- 

 colour, and those which he calls the polype de 

 panache. The differences of structure in these, 

 as also of colour, are observable enough ; but 

 the manner of their subsisting, of seizing then- 

 prey, and of their propagation, is pretty near- 

 ly the same in all. 



Whoever has looked with care into the bot- 

 tom of a wet ditch when the water is stagnant, 

 and the sun has been powerful, may remem- 

 ber to have seen many little transparent lumps 

 of jelly, about the size of a pea, and flatted on 

 one side ; such also as have examined the un- 

 der side of the broad-leafed weeds that grow 

 on the surface of the water, must have observ- 

 ed them studded with a number of these little 

 jelly-like substances, which were probably 

 then disregarded, because their nature and 

 history were unknown. These little sub- 

 stances, however, were no other than living 

 polypi, gathered up into a quiescent state, and 

 sce.ningly inanimate, because either undis- 

 turbed, or not excited by the calls of appetite 

 to action. When they are seen exerting them- 

 selves, they put on a very different appearance 

 from that when at rest: to conceive a just 

 idea of their figure, we may suppose the finger 

 of a glove cut off at the bottom ; we may sup- 

 pose also several threads or horns planted 

 round the edge like a fringe. The hollow of 

 this finger will give us an idea of the stomach 

 of the animal ; the threads issuing forth from 

 (he edges may be considered as the arms or 

 feelers, with which it hunts for its prey. The 



animal, at its greatest extent, is seldom seen 

 above an inch and a half long, but it is much 

 shorter when it is contracted and at rest ; it is 

 furnished neither with muscfcs nor rings, and 

 its manner of lengthening or contracting itself 

 more resembles that of the snail, than worms, 

 or any oilier insect. The polypus contracts 

 itself more or less, in proportion as it is touch- 

 ed, or as the water is agitated in which they 

 are seen. Warmth animates them, and c< Id 

 benumbs them ; but it requires a degree of 

 cold approaching congelation before they are 

 reduced to perfect inactivity: those of an inch 

 have generally their arms double, often thrice 

 as long as their bodies. The arms, where the 

 animal is not disturbed, and the season not 

 unfavourable, are thrown about in various 

 directions, in order to seize and entangle its 

 little prey ; sometimes three or four of the 

 arms are thus employed, while the rest are 

 contracted like the horns of a snail, within the 

 animal's body. It seems capable of giving 

 wh-it length it pleases to these arms ; it con- 

 tracts and extends them at pleasure, and 

 stretches them only in proportion to the re- 

 moteness of the object it would seize. 



These animals have a progressive motion, 

 which is performed by that power they have 

 of lengthening and contracting themselves at 

 pleasure ; they go from one part of the bottom 

 to another ; they mount along the margin of 

 the water, and climb up the side of aquatic 

 plants. They often are seen to come to the 

 surface of the water, where they suspend 

 themselves by their lower end. As they ad- 

 vance but very slowly, they employ a great 

 deal of time in every action, and bind them- 

 selves very strongly to whatever body they 

 chance to move upon as they proceed ; their 

 adhesion is voluntary, and is probably perform- 

 ed in the manner of a cupping-glass applied 

 to the body. 



All animals of this kind have a remarkable 

 attachment to turn towards the light, and 

 this naturally might induce an inquirer to look 

 for their eyes ; but however carefully this 

 search has been pursued, and however excel- 

 lent the microscope with which every part 

 was examined, yet nothing of the appearance 

 of this organ was found over the whole body; 

 and it is most probable that, like several other 

 insects which hunt their prey by their feeling, 

 these creatures are unfurnished with advan- 



