THE PHYSALIA. 7 



galere or fregate among the French, from having 

 some resemblance to a small vessel resting tran- 

 quilly on the surface of the water during a calm, 

 at which time they are more readily discerned 

 than during strong breezes : they have also been 

 confounded by many persons unacquainted with 

 natural history with the Nautilus. 



The figure of this species is somewhat ovate ; 

 the upper portion resembles an inflated bladder, 

 rounded at one extremity, and with a beak-like 

 termination at the other. On the summit or 

 back is a crest or ridge, slightly elevated, sul- 

 cated, and fringed at the edges : the whole of 

 this part of the animal is of a light blue, with 

 occasional streaks of delicate sea-green, and 

 tinged with brilliant crimson : this portion of the 

 animal is filled with air, and, although I have 

 heard it frequently asserted that the animal has 

 the voluntary power of collapsing the bladder on 

 the approach of tempestuous, or inflating it on a 

 return of fine weather, yet I do not credit the 

 remark, considering it is more probably a sea- 

 man's tale than the result of a naturalist's ob- 

 servation. On examination, no apparatus is 

 found by which such an efl'ect could be produced ; 

 and if it actually possesses such a power, why is 

 it not exercised in every moment of peril ? — for, 

 when we approach the animal to capture it, or 



