428 ACALEPHA. 
perhaps as ovaries, and some longer than the rest as tentacula, are 
attached to these vesicles and compose the whole apparent organiza- 
tion of these animals. They have no apparent mouth, or one which 
can be decidedly considered as such. 
Puysatia, Lam. 
The Physalize resemble an extremely large oblong bladder eleva- 
ted superiorly into an oblique and wrinkled crest, and furnished be- 
neath, near one of its extremities, with numerous, cylindrical, fleshy 
productions, variously terminated, that communicate with the blad- 
der. 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 w hich 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 blad- 
der with thinner parietes, and ceca that partly extend into the cavi- 
ties of the crest. There is no nervous, circulating, nor glandular 
system*, The animal swims on the surface of the sea when it is 
calm, employing 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 f. 
Puyssopuora, Lorsk. 
These Acalepha are evidently allied to the Physaliz, but their 
bladder is proportionally much smaller, has no crest, and is fre- 
quently accompanied by lateral bladders; their various and numerous 
tentacula are suspended vertically under the bladder, like a garland 
or cluster, In 
Puyssopuora, Pér., 
Or Physsophora properly so called, between the superior bladder 
and the tentacula are other bladders placed side by side, or one on 
another, sometimes of an irregular figure, and sometimes polyedrous, 
forming, by their union, prisms or cylinders. The tentacula, partly 
conical, partly cylindrical, and partly formed by groups of threads or 
* J have satisfied myself of this total absence of internal and complicated organs 
in many large individuals, so that I cannot admit the recent idea that the paane 
may be one of the Mollusca. 
+ Holothuria physalis, L.; Amoen., Ac., IV, iii, 6; Sloane, Jam., I, iv, 5 ;—e- 
dusa utriculus, Gm., Lamartiniare, Journ. de Phys., Nov. 1787, II, 13, 14 ;—Me- 
dusa caravella, Mill., Nat. of Berl., Besch., Ii, 9, 2, are Physaliz, but which do not 
appear to be sufficiently described to enable us to unite or distinguish them specifi- 
cally. I will say the same of the Physal. pelagica, Bosc., Vers, II, xix, 1, 2, and the 
Physalie mégaliste, Pér., Voy., I, xxix, 1. This observation will even apply to those 
of Tilesius, Voy. of Krusentst. and Tescar Voy. de Duperr., Zooph., pl. 4 and 5, 
although better characterized, until we have more accurate observations of the 
changes which age or other circumstances may produce in the number of the ten- 
tacula. 
* 
