74 VIGNETTES FROM INVISIBLE LIFE. 



perfect and completely formed Hydra ; or, take a fine 

 lancet and cut lengthwise from head to base, just 

 leaving the latter united, and you have a double- 

 headed Hydra with but one base ; or reverse the 

 process, cutting from the base upwards, just leaving 

 the head untouched, and you have a single -headed 

 animal with a double body. What will the anti- 

 vivisectionists say to such operations as these ? 

 They may, however, take some comfort from the 

 fact that even when the head is thus halved the 

 arms belonging to each portion continue their opera- 

 tion in seizing their prey as if nothing whatever 

 had happened ; and the inference is therefore that 

 not much, if indeed any, pain has been inflicted. 

 So you may continue to play with this curious 

 animal, and stuff one end of the body of one into 

 that of another, and behold the two unite and form 

 one hydra. It is even said although some recent 

 experiments throw doubt on the assertion that, 

 if with a fine bodkin the animal is turned inside 

 out, it will perform its digestive function just as 

 well as it did originally the other way. 



When the Hydra is expanded, with its tentacles 

 hanging gracefully down, as in the wood-cut before 



