BLOOD. 



33 



water is a small fragment of sea-weed, and attached to one 

 of its slender filaments you may see three or four tiny 

 knobs of jelly, clustered together like a bunch of grapes. 

 These are animals ; each endowed with a distinct life, but 

 associated together by a common stalk, which maintains 

 the mutual vital connexion of the whole. It is one of the 

 Social Tunicata, and is named Perophora Listen. 



Though each globose knob is no larger than a small pin's 

 head, it is full of organs which carry on the various func- 

 tions of life ; and, because the whole tissues are as trans- 

 parent as crystal, they allow us to watch the processes 

 with perfect ease. Take a peep at it. 



It is a gelatinous sac, of a form intermediate between 

 globular and cu- 

 bical, flattened on 

 two opposite sides, 

 with a sort of wart 

 at the summit and 

 another at the side, 

 each of which is 

 pierced with a 

 pursed orifice. The 

 upper of these ori- 

 fices admits water 

 for respiration and 

 food; the latter 

 passes through a 

 digestive system, 

 and is discharged 

 through the side 

 orifice. The di- 

 gestive organs lie on that flattened side -which is farthest 

 from your eye, and are therefore dimly seen. 



The globose body is inclosed in a coating of loose shape- 

 less jelly, that passes off from one of the lower corners 

 and forms a short foot-stalk, which unites with similar 



D 



PEROPBOBA. 



