62 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



a baby, with its little knees bent up to its chin, in that 

 zigzag fashion that children, little and big, often like 

 to lie in. But stay, here is a child moving ! Softly ! 

 He slowly pushes open the semicircular slit in the cover- 

 lid, and we see him gradually protruding his head and 

 shoulders in an erect position, straightening his knees at 

 the same time. He is raised half out of bed, when lo ! 

 his head falls open, and becomes a bell of tentacles ! The 

 baby is the tenant-polype ! 



" This is a very amusing romance," you say. Nay, it is 

 no romance at all. If you will excuse the homeliness of 

 the comparisons, I venture to affirm that a personal exa- 

 mination of the creature itself would justify their correct- 

 ness, and you would acknowledge that they could scarcely 

 be more apt. 



Moreover, the globular chambers show signs of life ; 

 their front doors suddenly open, gape widely, and then 



LEAFY SEA-MAT. 



(A portion magnified.) 



shut with a snap ; and presently this opening and shutting 

 is repeated. The meaning of this action you will better 

 understand when you see analogous organs in another 



