HYDROZOA. 



39 



their structure. The species most commonly met 

 with assume the form of a mushroom, or umbrella- 

 shaped disk, composed of transparent jelly. They 

 move by alternately expanding and contracting their 

 bodies, and swim with their upper surface directed 

 forwards, while their fringes and tentacles follow 

 behind, " like streamers long and gay." 



The Long-tailed Stinger (Cyanea* capillatd] of our seas is a most 

 formidable creature, and the terror of tender-skinned bathers. With 

 its broad, tawny, festooned and scalloped disk, often a full foot or 

 even more across, it flaps its way through the yielding waters, and 

 drags after it a long train of riband-like arms, and seemingly inter- 

 minable tails, marking its course, when the body is far away from us. 

 Once tangled m its trailing "hair/' the unfortunate, who has reck- 

 lessly ventured across the monster's 

 path, soon writhes in prickly torture. 

 Every struggle but binds the poisonous 

 threads more firmly round his body, 

 and then there is no escape, for when 

 the winder of the fatal net finds his 

 course impeded by the terrified human 

 wrestling in his coils, seeking no combat 

 with the mightier biped, he casts loose 

 his envenomed arms, and swims away. 

 The amputated weapons, severed from 

 their parent body, vent vengeance on 

 the cause of their destruction, and sting 

 as fiercely as if their original proprietor 

 gave the word of attack. PROF. FORBES. 



The Tube-mouthed Sarsia (Sarsia\ 

 tubulosa) ^Fig. 24), is a species of 

 smaller dimensions, which, as it floats 

 gracefully along, might be supposed, 

 sylph-like, to live on light, and quaff 

 the et.her, but is in reality by no 

 means addicted to such scanty diet. 

 A few of them being kept by Professor 

 Forbes in a jar of salt water, in 

 which were some small shrimps, de- 

 voured these animals, so much more 

 highly organized than themselves, vora- 

 ciously, apparently enjoying the de- 

 struction of the upper classes with a 

 truly democratic relish. One of them 

 even attacked, and commenced swal- 

 lowing, a medusa, quite as good as 

 itself. An animal that can pout out 

 its mouth to twice the length of its 

 body, and stretch its stomach to pro- 

 portionate dimensions, must, indeed, be a triton among the minnows, 

 * Kwbcos, kuaneos, dark. f Sars, a proper name. 





I 

 j 



FlG. 24. FIGURE OF SARSIA. 



