368 EAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Ch. XXI. 



clears in like manner — a very tiger of the seas. It was of a 

 clouded reddish-brown colour. 



On the 4th July, ia lat. 30^° N., and long. 36° W,, we first 

 encountered an immense shoal of compound Salpse (Salpa 

 pinnata), which were no less remarkable from their interest- 

 ing and most singular forms and structures, than from their 

 abundance and the vast area over which they spread. In 

 the water they were perfectly transparent, but for two pink 

 linear bodies, and a yellowish brown canal, which seemed to 

 gain brilliancy of tint from being seen through some depth 

 of blue sea. These Salpse were united in. sets of various 

 numbers by a rectangular gelatinous pedicle, which sprung 

 from the inner side of the body, and met a similar pedicle 

 in another individual. There was sometimes a single Salpa 

 floating, sometimes two, three, four, and so on up to 11 or 

 12, which were united together in such a manner as to pre- 

 sent the appearance of the carpels of an orange ; and not 

 unfrequently a second series of individuals was added out- 

 side the circumference of the original spheroidal mass. This 

 outer series was never so numerous as the inner one ; but 

 consisted of from four to six individuals, united to the com- 

 mon centre by pedicles of a correspondingly increased length. 

 They floated by in immense numbers, usually in an obhque 

 position, but without any great apparent locomotive powers — 

 certainly not so great as those possessed by umbrella-form 

 Acalephs. 



Upon withdrawing one of these clusters from the water, 

 I found that the individuals were united by a knife-like edge 

 at the extremity of each pedicle, which readily separated, 

 so that the compound animal very easily became detached 

 and independent. This accounted for Ihe very various niun- 

 bers in the groups which I had observed. Each individual 



