THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



transparent as though formed of colored glass, 

 it looks like a medusa. But its shape is differ- 

 ent. It is a siphonophere a "staatsqualle." 

 Following the same principle of associated 

 structure a great bunch of medusae sprout out 

 from the first individual. This family does not 

 separate, but like the coral, remains attached 

 by a common uniting canal between the stom- 

 achs. A much greater extension of the princi- 

 ple of division of labor is found here. Many 

 of the medusae in the colony have, once that 

 they are attached to the nourishing feed pipe, 

 dispensed with their own stomachs and mouths. 

 They have merely their swimming bell devel- 

 oped as perfectly as possible and carry the whole 

 colony along through their buoyant power. The 

 specialized eating medusa on the other hand, 

 has abolished this bell and has become all mouth 

 and stomach, — like pumpkin blossoms, they sit 

 eternally snapping and digesting along the 

 swaying road over which the bell medusae like 

 puffing locomotives tow them. In the associa- 

 tion there are definite "intelligence medusae," 

 that is sense or experience animals, and again 

 others have completely set themselves to the 

 great work of reproduction. 



Another point is made clear to us as we look 

 at this wonder picture with its undulating for- 

 est of numerous eating mouths and swimming 

 bells. These jelly fish and coral associations 



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