ACALEPH.E. 247 



Mr. Bennett, who accompanied the exploring expedition under 

 Admiral Fitzroy, as naturalist, ventured to test the powers of the 

 Physalia. " On one occasion," he says, " I tried the experiment of 

 its stinging powers upon myself, intentionally. When I seized it by 

 the bladder portion, it raised the long cables by muscular contraction 

 of the bands situated at the base of the feelers, and, entwining the 

 slender appendages about my hand and finger, inflicting severe and 

 peculiarly pungent pain, it adhered most tenaciously at the same time, 

 so as to be extremely difficult of removal. The stinging continued 

 during the whole time that the minutest portion of the tentacular 

 remained adherent to the skin. I soon found that the effects were 

 not confined to the acute pungency inflicted, but produced a great 

 degree of constitutional irritation : the pain extended upwards along 

 the arm, increasing not only in extent but in severity, apparently 

 acting along the course of the absorbents, and could only be compared 

 to a severe rheumatic attack. The pulse was accelerated, and a feverish 

 state of the whole system produced : the muscles of the chest, even, 

 were affected ; the same distressing pain being felt on taking a full 

 respiration as obtains in a case of acute rheumatism. The secondary 

 effects were very severe, continuing for nearly three-quarters of an 

 hour ; the duration being probably longer in consequence of the time 

 and delay occasioned by removing the tentacula from the skin, to 

 which they adhered, by the aid of the stinging capsules, with an 

 annoying degree of tenacity. On the whole being removed, the pain 

 began to abate ; but during the day a peculiar numbness was felt, 

 accompanied by an increased temperature in the limb on which the 

 sting had been inflicted. For some hours afterwards the skin dis- 

 played white elevations or weals on the parts stung, similar to those 

 resulting from the poison of the stinging nettle. The intensity of 

 the pain depends in some degree upon the size and consequent power 

 of the creature. After it has been removed from the water for some 

 time, the stinging property, although still continuing to act, is found 

 to have perceptibly diminished. I have observed, also, that this irri- 

 tative power is retained for some weeks after the death of the animal, 

 in the vesicles of the cables, and even .linen cloth which has been 

 used for wiping off the adhering tentacles, when touched, still retained 

 the pungency, although it had not the power of producing such violent 

 constitutional irritation." 



