APPENDIX. 183 



stead of the little Acalephs. They must not be 

 touched with the hand, or the pressure of the fingers 

 is sure to injure their delicate form; but "when the 

 net is taken out of the water, it must be carefully 

 reversed, and its contents gently emptied into a basin 

 or glass jar filled with clear salt water. It is best 

 to plunge the net beneath the surface when being 

 emptied, as thus the Medusae are enabled to detach 

 themselves from the threads and swim away without 

 injury. When the net is taken out of the water, they 

 appear like little adhering shapeless masses of clear 

 jelly, and exhibit no traces of their elegant form and 

 ornaments. When in the jar or basin, they are often, 

 on account of their extreme transparency, very diffi- 

 cult to distinguish; but by placing the vessel in the 

 sun, or beside a strong artificial light, we see their 

 shadows floating over the sides and bottom of the 

 basin, like the shadows of flitting clouds on a land- 



scape." * 



* Forbes. 



