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northern seas. It generally swims on the top of the 

 water, and is throughout soft, smooth, and transpa* 

 rent. It appears to be a lump of slime or jelly. 

 But it co-heres firmly together, being marked in the 

 middle with a cross somewhat like a ilowder-de-luce, 



These creatures are blue, white, or red, and some 

 of them have many branches underneath. These are 

 usually something larger than the common sort, and 

 are of a dark red ; they all abound with a corrosive 

 poison, which if it drop on any part of the body will 

 cause a smart and an inflammation, much like that 

 produced by nettles. Hence it has its name. How- 

 ever it is no vegetable, but evidently a living creature. 

 For it has sensation : it grows, moves to and fro, 

 contracts and extends itself. It often picks up and 

 devours small fish, and is itself devoured by others* 



The care of ti\e Creator is observable even in so in. 

 considerable a creature as a Limpet, a small shell-fish, 

 which so fastens itself to the rock, that scarce any 

 thing can unloose its hold* 



The fact has long been known ; but the manner of 

 its fastening itself was not understood till very lately. 

 Its shell approaches to the figure of a cone ; the basa 

 of which is occupied by a large muscle, which alone 

 has nearly as much flesh in it as the whole body of the 

 fish. This is not covered by the shell, but serves tha 

 creature equally to move forward, or to fix itself to 

 the rock. When it is in a state of rest, which is the 

 common case, it applies this muscle every way round 

 to the surface of some stone, and thereby holds itself 

 fixed to it so firmly, that it is impossible to take it off 

 with the hands. Those who would remove them, are 

 obliged to make use of a knife for that purpose : and 

 even then it is not easy, for on wilt's vver side the 

 blade of the knife attempts to enter, irie fish inline- 

 -diately fixes its muscle with double iorce to the stone* 



The true cause of his adhesion is a viscous juice, a 

 kind of glue, thrown out by this muscle, whichthjiighi 

 it is not perceptibly to the eye, yef it is easily perceiv 



