NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Volvox bulla, a species of animals 



several other animalcules, the p>roteus vibrio. It 

 is pellucid and gelatinous, and swims about, most, 

 commonly, with a long neck and bulbous body, 

 with great vivacity. Sometimes it makes a stop 

 for a minute or two, and stietches itself out ap- 

 parently in search of prey. When alarmed it 

 immediately draws in its neck, becomes more 

 opaque, and moves very sluggishly* It will then, 

 perhaps, instead of its former long, neck, push 

 out a kind of wheel machinery, the motions of 

 which draw a current of water, and, along witli 

 this, probably its prey. Withdrawing this it will 

 sometimes remain almost motionless for some se- 

 conds, as if weary; then protruding its long neck 

 it will often resume its former agility, or adopt 

 instead a multitude of different appearances in 

 succession. The eyes of this creature have not 

 hitherto been discovered: it however swims with 

 great rapidity among the multitudes of animal- 

 cules that inhabit the same water, without strik- 

 ing against them. 



The volvox bulla is a species of animals which 

 consist only of oval bodies, similar in appearance 

 to soap bubbles, arranged in parties of three, 

 five, six, and nine; among them are also some 

 solitary ones. These collections of globules, hav- 

 ing been put into a glass filled with sea-water, de- 

 scribed a rapid circle round the glass by a com- 

 mon movement, to which each individual contri- 

 buted by the simple compression of the sides of 



