322 COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SHORE. 



describing them, writes like a poet, and Professor 

 Forbes, speaking of one of these globular umbrella- 

 shaped animals (the Modeera formosa), whose 

 tints are white and richest crimson, says of it, 

 " There is not a Medusa in all the ocean which 

 can match for beauty with the minute creature 

 now before us, though its smallness is such, that a 

 split pea would overtop it. Yet small though it 

 be, it has shape, colour, and substance so disposed, 

 that as yet no explorer of the sea has met with 

 another like it. It is gorgeous enough to be the 

 diadem of sea-fairies, and sufficiently graceful to 

 be the night-cap of the tiniest and prettiest of 

 mermaidens." Another very lovely Medusa, not 

 uncommon in the ocean around the Isle of Wight, 

 is as clear as the water itself, and by day time can 

 only be seen by the rich crimson nucleus beneath 

 the crystal mushroom-like figure. This richly 

 tinted portion is very apparent, so that the beauti- 

 ful Scarlet Cyanea resembles in the water a bead 

 of coral, swimming beneath the calm surface of 

 the sea. Hugh Miller, in his " Summer Rambles/' 

 gives an interesting description of some of the 

 common kinds, which he saw while aboard the 

 Betsey, off the island of Eigg. At this time the 

 Medusae had risen from the bottom of the waters 

 as the wind fell, and " were mottling the green 

 depths of the water below and around, as far as 

 the eye could reach. Among the commoner kinds," 

 says this writer, " the kind with the four purple 

 rings on the area of its flat bell, which ever 

 vibrates without sound, and the kind with the 

 fringe of dingy brown and the long stinging tails, 

 of which I have sometimes borne from my swim- 

 ming excursions the nettle-like smart for hours ; 



