66 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



earliest stage, one of these buds simply resembles a 

 small wart, which, as it slowly increases in size, gra- 

 dually assumes the shape and proportions of a young 

 Medusa, and at length, when fully formed, drops off 

 from its parent, ready to commence life on its own 

 account. 



Equally remarkable with the Medusa just described 

 is the Sarsia prolifera, which differs from all the other 

 members of that genus hitherto observed, in having 

 at the base of each tentacle a supplementary bulb or 

 a bunch of little tubercles, suspended like a bunch of 

 grapes, all of which in time prove themselves to be 

 young Sarsise, sprouting by gemmation from the 

 bases of the tentacula (PI. I. fig. 7). "Fancy an 

 elephant," says Professor Forbes, "with a number 

 of little elephants sprouting from his shoulders and 

 legs ; bunches of tusked monsters hanging epaulette- 

 fashion from his flanks in every stage of advance- 

 ment; here a young pachyderm almost shapeless, 

 there one more advanced, but as yet all ears and 

 eyes. On the right shoulder a youthful Chuny with 

 head,' trunk, and toes, but no legs, and a shapeless 

 body : on the left an infant elephant better grown, 

 and struggling to get away, but his tail not suffi- 

 ciently organized as yet to permit of liberty and fre' 

 action." The comparison seems grotesque and absurd, 

 but it really expresses what we have been describing 

 in these Sarsise. It is true that the latter are minute, 

 but wonders are not the less wonderful for being packed 

 in a small compass. " La force qui developpe, Fin- 

 telligence qui specific et co-ordonne, F amour qui unit 

 et vivifie," are revealed as clearly in our little Sarsia 



