THE POLYPUS. 



S36 



tages which would be totally useless for their 

 support. 



In the centre of the arms, as was said before, 

 the mouth is placed, which the animal can 

 open and shut at pleasure, and this serves at 

 once as a passage for food, and an opening 

 for it after digestion. The inward purt of the 

 animal's body seems to be one great stomach, 

 which is open at both ends ; but the purposes 

 which the opening at the bottom serves are 

 hitherto unknown, but certainly not for ex- 

 cluding taeir excrements, for those are eject- 

 ed at the aperture by which they are taken in. 

 If the surface of the body of this little creature 

 be examined with a microscope, it will be 

 found studded with a number of warts, as also 

 the anus, especially when they are contract- 

 ed ; and these tubercles, as we shall presently 

 see, answer a very important purpose. 



If we examine their way of living, we shall 

 fiiid thes" insectschiefly subsisting upon others, 

 much less than themselves, particularly a kind 

 of millepedes that live in the water, and a 

 very small red worm, which they seize with 

 great avidity. In short, no insect whatsoever, 

 less than themselves, seems to come amiss to 

 them ; their arms, as was said before, serve 

 them as a net would a fisherman, or perhaps, 

 more exactly speaking, as a lime-twig does a 

 fowler. 



Wherever their prey is perceived, which the 

 animal effects by its feeling, it is sufficient to 

 touch the object it would seize upon, and it is 

 fastened without a power of escaping. The 

 instant one of this insect's long arms is laid 

 upon a milh-pede, the little insect sticks with- 

 out a possibility of retreating. The greater 

 the distance at which it is touched, the greater 

 is the ease with which the polypus brings the 

 prey to its mouth. If the little object be near, 

 though irretrievably caught, it is not without 

 great difficulty that if can be brought to the 

 mouth to be swallowed. When the polypus 

 is unapplied with prey, it testifies its hunger 

 by opening its mouth ; the aperture, however, 

 is so small that it cannot be easily perceived ; 

 but when, with any of its long arms, it has 

 seized upon its prey, it then opens the mouth 

 disMnctly enough, and this opening is always 

 in proportion to the size of the animal which 

 it would swallow ; the lips dilate insensibly 

 by small degrees, and adjust themselves pre- 

 cisely to the figure of their prey. Mr. Trem- 



*o 71 & 72. 



bley, who took n pleasure in feeding this use- 

 less brood, found that th<y could devour ali- 

 ments of every kind, fish Hiiri flesh, as well as 

 insects ; but he owns they did not thrive so 

 well upon beef and veal, as upon the little 

 worms of their own providing. When he 

 gave one of these famished leptiles any sub- 

 stance which was improper to serve (or ali- 

 ment, tit first it seized the prey with avidity, 

 but after keeping it some time entanl< d m ar 

 the mouth, it dropt it again w'uh distinguishing 

 nicety. 



When several polypi happen to fall upon 

 the same worm, they dispute their common 

 prey with each other. Two of them are often 

 seen seizing the same worm at different ends, 

 and dragging it at opposite directions with 

 great force. It often happens, that while one 

 is swallowing its respective end, the other is 

 also employed in the same manner, and thus 

 they continue swallowing each his part, until 

 their mouths meet together; they then rest, 

 each for some time in this situation, till the 

 worm breaks between them, and each goes off 

 with his share ; but it often happens, that a 

 seemingly more dangerous combat ensues, 

 when the mouths of both are thus joh.ert upon 

 one common prey together: the largest poly- 

 pus then gapes and swallows his antagonist ; 

 but what is very wonderful, the animal thus 

 swallowed seems to be rather a gainer by the 

 misfortune. After it has lain in the conqueror's 

 body for about an hour, it issues unhurt, and 

 often in possession of the prey which had been 

 the original cause of contention. How happy 

 would it be for men, if they had as little to 

 fear from each other ! 



These reptiles continue eating the wthole 

 year, except when the cold approaches to 

 congelation ; and then, like most others of the 

 insect tribe, they feel the general torpor of na- 

 ture, and all their faculties are for two or three 

 months suspended : but if they abstain at one 

 time, they are equally voracious at another, 

 and, like snakes, ants, and other animals that 

 are torpid in winter, the meal of one day suf- 

 fices them for several months together. In 

 general, however, they devour more largely 

 in proportion to their size, and their growth 

 is quick exactly as they are fed ; such as are 

 best supplied, soonest acquire their largest size, 

 but they di'ninish also in their growth with 

 the same facility if their food be taken away 



