JELLY FISHES VAEIETY AND BEAUTY. 109 



formidable, and those who have experienced it both agree 

 in saying that the Stanger is to the Physalia what a 

 garden ant is to a hornet. These lovely trailing filaments 

 are covered with myriads of poison sacs, so that the name 

 of Portuguese man-of-war, which was given to them 

 when the " Portugals " were the masters of the sea, was 

 a singularly appropriate title. 



The poison probably varies in its effects according to 

 the constitution of the individual who is struck, but the 

 strongest man is for a time reduced to helplessness. 



Mr. Dutertre narrates his first encounter with a Phy- 

 salia. He was alone in a little canoe, when he saw a 

 Physalia floating on the sea. Not knowing what it was, 

 he took hold of it for the purpose of examining it. No 

 sooner had he touched it than the floating tendrils 

 wound themselves on his hand and adhered as if glued 

 to it. 



The body of the animal was cool enough, but as soon 

 as the filaments came upon his hand he felt as if the 

 whole arm had been plunged into boiling water. Pang 

 after pang shot through his frame, and though he was 

 alone he could not refrain from shrieks for mercy, and 

 cries that he was burning to death. 



It is well known that the African slaves once employed 

 in the West Indies brought with them the secrets of 

 many poisons. These secrets were, however, only con- 

 fided to a few of them, and these Obi men and women 

 were equally feared by whites and those of their own 

 colour. There is no doubt that Joanna, the beautiful 



