ACALEPHJE.— THE JIEDUSAD.E. 



CKgs arc raetnmoi']iliosccl into oval lavvte, covered willi 

 vibratile cells, and slightly depressed in front. For a 

 short time they swim to and fro with enormous 

 activity, like the Infusoria, to which, in many other 

 res|)ects, they exhibit a striking analogy. 



This activity declines at tlie expiry of eight and 

 forty hours. Aided by the depression to which we 

 have already referred, the cluster of larviE attaches 

 itself to some solid body, insuring its adhesion by 

 secreting a thick mucous mitter. Soon occurs a 

 singular change of form; the cluster elongates itself; 

 the pedicle contracts , the free extremity swells into 

 a club-like shape. An opening is speedily revealed 

 in the centre of this chib-shaped extremity, through 

 which an internal cavity may be di^cerrled. Four 

 little maramaj now make their appearance on the edge, 

 and are elongated as if to serve for arms. Others soon 

 follow — these are tentacles; the infusoria has developed 

 into a polype. 



Tliis polype increases by buds and shoots, just like 

 a strawberry plant, which flings its slender stems in 

 every direction, and overspreads all the neighbouring 

 ground. 



For a while the young Medusa is contented witli 

 this condition. Then one of the polypes increases in 

 size and grows cylindrical in form ; its cylinder being 

 built up with from ten to fourteen superimposed rings. 

 These rings, smooth at first, arrange themselves there- 

 after into graceful festoons, and separate into bifurcated 

 thongs ; the intermediate lines become channelled. 

 The animal may now be compared to a pile of plates 

 cut round the edges. 



Before long, each ring is agitated at the free end of 

 its fringe, which attains a contractile properly. The 

 rings are individualized. Afterwards they isolate 

 themselves, and assume an independent existence ; 

 each, as it is detached, beginning to swim. Hence- 

 forth they have only to complete or modify their 

 structure. From being flat, they become concave on 

 the one side and convex on the other. The digestive 

 cavity — the gastro-vascular canals — are more dclinitely 

 organized. The month opens. Tlie tentacles increase 

 in length ; the floating marginal cilia, in nuiiiber ; and 

 all its metamorphoses being finally comjileted, the Me- 

 dusa appears— in every respect resembling its mother.* 



Nothing is more common on the sea-shore than to 

 meet with a strange, horny-like, five-fingered object, 

 apparently belonging neither to the animal nor the 

 vegetable kingdom, and as destitute of life and motion 

 as it is of beauty. Or similar curiosities will be found, 

 at low water, attached to every rock, half buried among 

 the sea-weed, or lying in some deserled pool. Every- 

 body knows them by the name of Star-fo/ies, a name 

 they owe to their form, and which ia identical in 

 meaning with their scientific name, Asttrias. Kvery- 

 hody knows them by their name, but few persons are 

 acipiainted with their peculiarities of construction ; and 

 the visitor at the sea-side, when he encounters them, 

 generally pushes them aside as creatures equally 

 ungainly ami uninteresting. 



lint let him pick up one of these seemingly inanimate 

 and worthless aslerias; lot him place it in some limpid 

 • Figuicr, Tlie O.-can-Workl, c. viii. pp. 221, 2:11. 



pool left by the receding tide wilhin a sequestered 

 rocky basin ; let liim watch its movements — and wo 

 doubt not but that he will soon be moved to wonder 

 and astonishment by what he sees. 



From the inferior surface of each ray, saj-s Kymer 

 Jones, the creature, which before appeared so helpless 

 and inanimate, slowly protrudes numerous fleshy tubes, 

 which move about in search of firm holding-places, and 

 are soon fixed, by means of little suckers at the end of 

 each, to the smooth surface of a neighbouring stone, or, 

 if the star-fish has been placed in a glass with salt 

 water, to the irincr surface of the glass, where every 

 movement may be plainly seen. 



As soon as these have attained a sure resting place, 

 others appear in rapid succession, and in their turn 

 are attaclied to the smooth surface ; till, at last, hun 

 dreds of little legs, for such these suckers appear to be, 

 are in full activity, and by their assistance the creature 

 glides along with a motion so slow and regnkir that the 

 process can scarcely be discerned. 



Thus roused into activity we are indiu-ed to watch 

 its movements with greater curiosity, and to our sur- 

 prise perceive that it has appetites and instincts which 

 inspire and direct it. Place within its reach a piece of 

 tainted fish, or other seaside carrion, and it will soon 

 discover its whereabouts, clasp it between its rays, 

 swallow it, and digest it in its ample stomach. 



The mouth of this strange animal is situated on the 

 inferior surface of its disc, at a point where the pieces 

 of which its carapace is composed leave a circular space, 

 covered by a tenacious fibrous membrane, pierced in 

 the centre with a rounded orifice. This orifice is fie- 

 quently armed with papillae, which play the part of 

 teeth. Tiie stomach is close adjoining ; is, in fact, the 

 mouth's next-door neighbour, consisting simply of a 

 globular sea, which fills nearly all the central portion 

 of the visceral cavily. 



In Astcracavtldon fjhic'udis, for instance, the stomach 

 is globular, but imperfectly divided into two parts by 

 the fold of its internal membrane. The fir.st chamber, 

 thus limited, seems to be occupied with tlie work of 

 transforming the food into a liquid paste, which passes 

 in small portions into the upper or second chamber. 

 This, being continued upwards through a small intes- 

 tine, communicates laterally wilh five cylindiical pro- 

 longations. Each of these again is subdivided into two 

 considerably elongated tubes, which are furnished with 

 a double series of hollow ramifications, terminating in 

 every instance in a cul-de-sac, and advancing into the 

 interior of the rays or arms of the astorias. 



We have referred to the voracity of this curious 

 membor of the Echinodermata. A cursory glance at 

 it, as it lies motionless and apparently helpless on the 

 shore, would certainly not lead the siiectalor to suppose 

 it capable of swallowing many kinds of prey. It seems 

 more fit to be the victim than the victiraizer, the captive 

 than the captor. One would believe it to be as in- 

 capable of attack as defence, and if told that this fleshy, 

 pliant, unarmoured individual was a deadly foe to the 

 oyster and the mussel — two creatures provided by 

 nature with envelopes of immense strength — would 

 probably listen, at first, with a smile of incredulity. 

 Yet such is undoubledlv the case. 



