364 EAMBLES OP A NATURALIST. [Oh. XXI. 



Extreme length of bladder . 8 inches. 



Greatest vertical circumference 10 J ,, 



Height of bladder above water 2f ,, 



But this was considerably reduced from the natural height ; 

 for the rose-coloured crest had coUapsed, which would have 

 added at least f inch to it, making a total of 3| inches in 

 height above the water. I had judged them to be about 

 8 inches long, before I captured one, by the expedient of 

 throwing into the water a piece of wood of ascertained 

 length, which I carefully compared with the animal as it 

 floated near it. No one on board the ship had ever seen 

 such magnificent Physalise, although they had been at sea 

 many years. Some thought at first that they had seen 

 them as large in the West Indies, but they were fain to 

 confess at last that the large one I measured exceeded the 

 largest they had ever seen. I saw these large Physaliae 

 subsequently on more than one occasion, the last being in 

 lat. 26° N., though higher than this somewhat smaller 

 specimens occurred. 



The stinging propensities of these Hydrozoa were not 

 generally known, but were destined to make themselves 

 evident at the expense of one unfortunate man. A boat 

 happened to be lowered early in the day, and one of the 

 crew, seeing a large Physalia float within reach, took it up 

 with his naked hand. The threads clung to his hand and 

 arm, penetrating to the axilla and down the side, causing 

 the man to yell with agony. He was quickly brought on 

 board, and as soon as he reached the deck, ran about like 

 a frantic maniac, so that it took several men to catch him, 

 and when secured and the proper remedies applied, he rolled 

 about for a considerable time, groaning with pain. His arm 



