512 AOALEPHA. 



perhaps as ovaries, and some longer than the rest as tentacula, 

 are attached to these vesicles and compose the whole apparent or- 

 ganization of these animals. They have no apparent mouth, or one 

 which can be decidedly considered as such. 



PHYSALIA, Lam. 



The Physalise resemble an extremely large oblong bladder elevated supe- 

 riorly into an oblique and wrinkled crest, and furnished beneath, near one 

 of its extremities, with numerous, cylindrical, fleshy productions, variously 

 terminated, that communicate with the bladder. Those in the middle give 

 origin to more or less numerous groups of little filaments; the lateral ones 

 are merely divided into two threads, one of which is frequently very long. 

 There appears to be an extremely small orifice in one of the extremities of 

 the bladder, but internally no other intestine is found, but another bladder 

 with thinner parietes. There is no nervous, circulating, nor glandular 

 system. The animal swims on the surface of the sea when it is calm, em- 

 ploying its crest as a sail. When living, it is also furnished with extremely 

 long filaments, more slender than the others, which are sprinkled, as it 

 were, with pearls or drops. Its touch is said to sting and burn like that of 

 the Sea-nettle. They are found in all the seas of hot climates. 



PHYSSOPHORA, Forsk. 



These Acalepha are evidently allied to the Physalise, but their bladder is 

 proportionally much smaller, has no crest, and is frequently accompanied 

 by lateral bladders; their various and numerous tentacula are suspended 

 vertically under the bladder, like a garland or cluster. 



It is directly after these hydrostatic Acalepha that we may place 

 the 



DlPHYES, CUV. 



A very singular genus, where two different individuals are always found to- 

 gether, one encased in a cavity of the other, but susceptible of being sepa- 

 rated without destroying the life of either. They are gelatinous, diaphan- 

 ous, and move nearly in the manner of a Medusa. The receiver produces 

 from the bottom of its cavity a chaplet which traverses a semi-canal in the 

 received, and appears to be composed of tentacula, and suckers, like those of 

 the preceding genera. 



This genus has been divided by Messrs Quoy and Gaymard according to 

 the relative form and proportions of the two individuals. 



