Medusa, the Chief of the Gorgons. It is in summer, when the 

 sun shines brightly and the sea is calm, that we see most of our 

 friend the jelly fish. They leave the deep water and come to the 

 shore in immense numbers, and their visits do not increase the 

 joys of timid bathers. No doubt many different kinds honour us 

 with their company, though it may be we have not taken any 

 particular notice of them. They are indeed curious things, made 

 up of a little jelly and a good deal of water, but still rather highly 

 organized. They sail along by expanding and contracting the 

 umbrella, as the convex body is called, and moving the hanging 

 " stalks " and tentacles (illustration). But most noteworthy of all 

 is the fact that many members of the great medusa family cannot 

 be called independent organisms, as they are budded off from the 

 stems of certain hydroids. 



The medusas are probably the most numerous of all marine 

 animal-. Immense numbers of them are microscopic, and these 

 tiny creatures play a very important part in the phosphorescence of 

 the ocean. Probably few, if any, marine animals excite so much 

 interest and wonder as the Sea Anemones. They are, indeed, curious 

 things, but there seems no reason why they should be called 

 anemones. The expanded tentacles are sure to make us think of 

 the vegetable kingdom, but there is much more likeness to a com- 

 pound flower than to an anemone. The polype now under notice 

 though one of the hollowbodied animals is, less simple in structure 

 than many of them. The student may, perhaps, without being 

 called hard names by anti-vivisectionists, see for himself what the 

 inside of an anemone is like by simply cutting the creature into 

 two or more pieces. What the views of the polype may be we 

 cannot tell, but of its marvellous powers there is no doubt, as a 

 mutilated body can readily repair itself, and even a small detacht d 

 part can reproduce the larger missing portion. The commonest 

 species of sea anemone cannot be called handsome, for it is not 

 gaily coloured like many of its brethren It is very beautiful on 

 our coast where it is found on the rocks and in the sand, It 

 rejoices in the name of Actinia mesembry-anthemum. Actinia 

 crassicornis, with its thick tentacles, is a much more handsome 

 species, and not uncommon all along our coast It has graced 

 many an aquarium, to the delight of wondering spectators, and not 

 being a great traveller, has not seemed to object to limited quarters. 

 It can go a long time without food, but still it devours in veiy 

 determined fashion any food it may chance to get. The tentacles 

 grasp the prey very firmly and drag it into the accommodating 

 mouth. The writer hoped that his hearers would turn to some of 

 the books, and increase their knowledge of the curious and wonder- 

 ful polypes, the sea anemones. 



