A Tiny Man-o'-War 



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rest about, and it is the first part of the animal 

 to develop at birth. This birth may be from 

 an egg an almost invisible globule voided into 

 the sea to take its chances of escape from a 

 thousand perils long enough to develop into a 

 tiny sac and gradually to perfect its system 

 of appendages. More often, probably, the 

 young physalia begins as a bud attached to one 

 of the reproductive appendages of its mother 

 and does not break off to start on an inde- 

 pendent existence until it is pretty well ad- 

 vanced in growth. This is so jelly-fish-like that 

 some naturalists say the float is a true medusa. 

 I have italicized the word " probably " in the 

 sentence above, not to throw doubt on the state- 

 ment, but to emphasize the fact that no female 

 physalia has been observed : all the specimens we 

 see, apparently, are males. 



As it becomes larger there gradually grow 

 from the lower surface of its outer wall four 

 pairs or groups of appendages or associated 

 organs which have been named zooids, or poly- 

 pites. These vary in form and in function, 

 for in this society there is complete division 



