JELLY-FISHES. 321 



done with these. There is one that moves among the 

 rest like a bead of coral, the smallest of all, yet the most 

 brilliant. Here is another, and here another of the same 

 sort ; which has been named by Professor Edward Forbes, 

 Turris neglecta, because naturalists before him had ne- 

 glected to notice it, just as we have been doing, engrossed 

 by its larger brethren. 



Beautiful as is this little gem, it is not so large as a 

 dried pea, scarcely larger than a grain of hemp-seed. It 

 is described as " mitre-shaped ; " in other words it is a tall 

 bell, with the margin slightly bent inwards, and the sides 

 a little constricted. The umbrella is thick, and, being very 

 muscular, is not so translucent as those we have been ex- 

 amining ; hence it has a pellucid white appearance. But 

 through this shines its chief beauty ; the peduncle is very 

 large, and globose at the upper or basal part, which is 

 usually, as here, of a pale scarlet or rich orange hue. 



Imbedded in this orange-coloured flesh are seen many 

 points of a lovely rose-purple, which two colours blending 

 together, and softened by their transmission through the 

 sub-pellucid umbrella, have a peculiar brilliancy. But 

 stay ! here I have one more advanced in age, which will 

 exhibit some peculiarities of interest in the economy of 

 these frail but charming creatures. 



In this specimen, which is somewhat larger than the 

 former, the margin of the umbrella is a little turned back, 

 displaying more clearly the peduncle with its brilliant 

 ovaries. These, too, are more turgid, and the rosy points 

 are seen projecting from their interior, and some of them 

 even ready to fall. And look ! here on the bottom of the 

 glass are lying half-a-dozen or more of similar purple 

 points, whose rich hue renders them plainly discernible, 

 after a slight searching, to the unassisted eye. I will col- 

 lect one or two with a tube of glass, and submit them to 

 your examination under the microscope. 



You now discern that these bodies are perfectly oval in 



Y 



