322 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



form. One might, indeed, call them eggs — for they perform 

 the part of such organisms, — but that they have soft walls, 

 covered on their whole external surface with fine vibratile 

 cilia, by the action of which they are endowed with the 

 power of free locomotion. We see them, in fact, gliding 

 about the water of the live-box under view, with an even 

 and somewhat rapid motion, which appears to be guided 

 by a veritable will. Under this power they are seen to be 

 of a soft rich lake-crimson hue, all over. 



These little gemmules have a somewhat romantic history 

 of their own. I am afraid that these we see are too recent 

 to afford us any help in tracing it, and therefore I must be 

 satisfied with telling you what I have observed of it on 

 former occasions. 



After the beautiful little Coral Jelly has swum about a 

 few days, the umbrella begins to turn outward and back- 

 ward, and to contract more and more, until at length it 

 lies in shrivelled folds around the top, leaving the whole 

 peduncle exposed. Long before this, the creature has lost 

 its power of swimming, and lies helpless on its side upon 

 the bottom. Meanwhile the orange ovaries have swollen ; 

 the purple gemmules have become developed, and have 

 gradually worked their way through the ovaries, and fallen 

 one by one upon the bottom. There then they glide about 

 for a little time, perhaps for a day or so, by means of 

 their vibrating cilia. 



At length each little gemmule loses its power of wander- 

 ing, its motion becomes feebler and more intermitted, 

 and finally ceases altogether. The little being now rests 

 on some solid body, — a stone or a shell, — to which it 

 firmly adheres. Its two extremities grow out, adhering as 

 they extend, and sometimes branching, but still in close 

 and entire contact with the support. At length, after a 

 day or two, from some point of the upper surface of this 

 creeping root, a kind of wart buds forth, and soon grows 

 into an erect slender stem, which presently divides into 



