THE VENOMOUS CYAN7EA. 



745 



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The latter were now put to a new use ; the animal began habitually to rest near 

 bottom of the vessel 'or upon the broad fronds of the Iridcea, which were growing in 

 water and preserving its purity, but occasionally it 

 would rise midway to the surface arid hang by 

 one or two of the furbelows. A fold or two of 

 the latter would come to the top of the water, and 

 dilate upon the surface into a broad flat expansion, 

 exactly like the foot of a swimming mollusc 

 from this the Medusa would hang suspended in 

 an inverted position. All the other furbelows, 

 and portions of this one that lay below the expan- 

 sion, floated as usual through the water, except 

 that on some occasions an accessory power was 

 obtained by pressing a portion of another furbelow 

 to the side of the glass and making it adhere just 

 like the portion that was exposed to the surface of 

 the air. The texture of the furbelows when thus 

 stretched smooth was exquisitely delicate." This 

 curious movement seemed to be a prelude to the 

 production of eggs, which were seen in great num- 

 bers. As if its whole life powers were exhausted 

 by this process, the creature soon became feeble 

 and then died, its captive life having endured for 

 almost three weeks. 



OUE last examples of the Medusae are to be 

 seen in the illustration on page 746. 



On the right hand of the engraving may be 

 seen an example of the typical genus of this 

 family, which is a native of our own seas. This 

 is a sufficiently common species, and may be found 

 plentifully on our shores, together with its kindred. 

 There are few more beautiful sights than to stand 

 on a pier head or lie in the stern sheets of a 

 boat, and watch the Medusae passing in shoals 

 through the clear water, pulsating as if the whole 

 being were but a translucent heart, trailing behind 

 them their delicate fringes of waving cilia, and 

 rolling gently over as if in excess of happiness 

 At night, the Medusae put on new beauties, glow- 

 ing with phosphorescent light like marine fire- 

 flies, and giving to the ocean an almost unearthly 

 beauty that irresistibly recals to the mind the " sea of glass mingled with fire." 



On the left hand, in the lower corner, is seen that scourge of the ocean, the 

 VENOMOUS CYAN^EA. This harmless-looking creature is, in truth, one of the few inhabitants 

 of the sea that are to be feared by bathers on our favoured shores ; but its presence is so 

 much to be dreaded that no one who has once suffered from the lash of its envenomed 

 filaments will venture to bathe without keeping a careful watch on the surrounding water. 

 I have twice undergone the torment occasioned by the contact of this creature, and know 

 by experience the severity of its stroke. 



At its first infliction, the pain is not unlike that caused by the common stinging-nettle, 

 but rather sharper, and with more of a tingling sensation. Presently, however, it increasee 

 in violence, and then seems to attack the whole nervous system, occasionally causing a 

 severe pain to dart through the body as if a rifle-bullet had passed in at one side and out 

 at the other. Both the heart and lungs suffer spasmodically, and the victim occasionally 

 feels as if he could not survive for another minute. 



Chysaora lutea. 



