388 THE fairy's cap. 



lobes, and terminating in four lips slightly expanded, 

 not fimbriated. The margin of the sub-umbrella 

 bears, at the points where two of the four radiating 

 vessels enter the circular canal, two tentacles with 

 very large and thick bulbs ; the filamentous portions 

 can be produced to twice or thrice the length of the 

 bell, but are more frequently coiled up or contracted, 

 or both. The other two radiating vessels have a 

 small oval bulb or swelling wdth a yellowish nucleus at 

 their termination; and between each of these and the 

 bulbs of the true tentacles, there are three smaller swell- 

 ings almost obsolescent, of which the middle one is a 

 little more developed than the others. (Fig. 9). A 

 rather wide veil borders the margin inwardly, which 

 is alternately sucked in and blown out at each vigo- 

 rous contraction of the umbrella. The lower half 

 of the umbrella is wrinkled transversely. 



The whole animal is transparent and colourless, 

 except the peduncle, which is wholly of a delicate 

 lemon-yellow ; and the tentacles, whose thick bases 

 are of a rich purplish crimson, gradually fading to a 

 carnation tint on the filaments. The whole animal- 

 is very minute, being only ^g inch in height (Fig. 7) ; 

 but the richness of its hues makes it conspicu- 

 ous under a lens, especially in the sun's rays, . and 

 when viewed with a dark background. 



Its little fairy-cap, and its beauty, suggested the 

 name of the ^ faery queen' for its specific appellation. 



Its motions are vigorous, shooting by long leaps 

 through the water by means of its contractions, at 

 each of which the floating particles are forced in a 

 jet out of the bell. 



