96 SOME WONDERS OP THE SEA. 



or more in length, and as elastic as the hair-spring of a 

 Avatch. 



What .a startling paradox is here ! These creatures 

 really seem to exhibit in themselves the t\vo extremes of 

 organisation, their structure appearing to the eye to be 

 scarcely removed above inanimate jelly, and yet, under 

 the microscope, exhibiting a poison-apparatus far surpas- 

 sing the sting of the bee, Avonderful and complicated as it 

 is. Moreover, the bee has only a single sting, Avhile the 

 poison-cells of the Medusas may be reckoned by myriads. 



What may be the nature of this poison we do not at 

 present knoAv. Some persons have thought that it Avas 

 electric in its nature, and connected Avith the brilliant 

 phosphorescent powers possessed by many of the species. 

 Its effect on the nervous system strengthens this opinion, 

 and it is certain that no substance known to be poisonous 

 has been discovered. The extremely minute dimensions 

 of the capsules, hoAvever, seem to prohibit even chemistry, 

 or its new ally the spectroscope, from a thorough investi- 

 gation of the cell contents. 



Ordinarily, the threads hang at no great length from 

 the disc, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 1. But the 

 Medusae seem to be able to project the threads to extra- 

 ordinary distances. At the time when I was so severely 

 stung the Medusa was not within several yards, and 

 though I was swimming leisurely towards it, my feet 

 were struck before my hands. On lifting my arms out 

 of the water, the delicate filaments could easily be seen 

 hanging from the arm like so many spider-threads. 



