HYDRA, 



19 



34 The hydra are fresh-water animals of very diminu- 

 tive size, and are generally fixed to some solid body, as 

 a stick or leaf, by the tail, though they have the power 

 of detaching themselves, and of moving slowly through 

 the water. They are carnivorous animals, and though 

 they do not chase their prey, they devour all kinds of liv- 

 ing creatures coming within reach of their tentacula, 

 which they can manage. Worms longer than themselves 

 they devour, by first doubling them together by means of 

 their long arms. 



35. A hydra in the act of gorging a 

 worm of twice its own size, is seen at 

 Fig. 9. The poor worm is completely 

 entangled within the folds of the tentacu- 

 la, while the voracious animal, with ex- 

 panded mouth, is absorbing its juices, so as to bring it with- 

 in the capacity of himself. 



36. It sometimes happens that when two of these ani- 

 mals have seized the same worm by different ends, a vio- 

 lent struggle ensues between them, and the stronger, 

 having gained the victory, not only swallows the object of 

 contention, but his antagonist along with it. F - 1Q 

 Fig. 10 represents such a case, the tail of the 

 swallowed animal protruding from the mouth 



of the victor. But the former soon extricates 

 himself from this dilemma, without having suf- 

 fered the least injury, and indeed is often the 

 gainer, by retaining a portion of the object of 

 contention to himself. 



37. But the most singular, and indeed, astonishing facts, 

 which Mr. Trembley ascertained with respect to these ani- 

 mals, are, that they 1mne the power of repairing all sorts 

 of injuries and mutilations inflicted on them, and of still 

 digesting their food, and of recovering a good degree of 

 health after being turned wrong side out. 



38. If their tentacula be clipped off they soon grow again. 

 If the animal be cut in two, across the middle, there will 

 sprout forth a new head from one part, and a new 

 tail from the other, together with such portions of the 

 body in each case as were wanted to make a good and 



What is said of the power of the hydra to reproduce mutilations * 



