CHAPTER XV. 



This Coast favourable for Oceanic Productions — The Red-lined 

 Medusa— Its Form and Structure — The Eyes — The Fur- 

 belows—A parasitic Shrimp — Its supposed Young — Beauty 

 of the Medusa — Its Prehensile Powers — Capture of Prey — 

 Curious Mode of eating — Experiments — New Use of the 

 Furbelows — Development of the Eggs — Their Structure — 

 • Thread-Capsules — Synonymy — The White Pelagia — The 

 Mantis Shrimp — Its spectral Figure and strange Actions — 

 Its Weapons — The Caddis Shrimp — The Tiny Oceania — 

 Busk's Thaumantias — The Fairy's Cap. 



THE RED LINED MEDUSA. 



The conformation of the Bristol Channel, and of 

 the adjacent coasts, offers peculiar facilities for the 

 study of those marine animals whose proper sphere of 

 existence is the wide ocean. The prevailing westerly 

 winds, driving up the surface-waters of the Atlantic, 

 impel them along the shores of Portugal, Spain and 

 France, whence a large portion passes through the 

 English Channel into the German Ocean. But 

 another large portion, turned northward by the pro- 

 jecting point of Cornwall, finds itself in a vast funnel, 

 between the Irish and English coasts, which has two 

 terminations, the one open and leading into the 

 North Sea, the other closed and confined within the 



