ECONOMY OF THE ANNELIDES. 253 



"It is not easy to express the pleasure which is 

 excited in the mind of the observer of nature, while 

 contemplating the habit and manners of the Annelida. 

 Every movement exemplifies the curve of beauty; 

 every tentacle winds ceaselessly and rapidly through 

 a thousand forms of matchless grace. Whether coil- 

 ing round a visible object, or picking up a micro- 

 scopic molecule for the construction of the cell, it 

 exhibits a dehcacy and precision of aim, which the 

 erudite finger of the most skilful artisan never equalled. 

 The refined precision of its muscular performances, is 

 matched only by its exquisite sensibility. Like the 

 human hand, of which the manifold endowments have 

 exhausted the admiring eloquence of philosophers 

 and theologians, it unites in its little self the most 

 varied capacities. It is at once an eye, an ear, a 

 jiose, and a finger: it sees, it hears, it smells, it 

 touches. Leading for the most part a subaqueous or 

 subterranean life, the sense of sight in the Annelid 

 is little required; and gifted in every part of the 

 body with a superlative tenderness of touch, the 

 sense of hearing is rendered unnecessary. Anatomy 

 accordingly demonstrates only the obscurest rudi- 

 ments of an organ of vision, while that of hearing has 

 eluded the scrutiny of the minutest examination. Is 

 it not to be marvelled at, that these humble beings 

 should see without eyes, and smell without a nose ? 

 It is not affirmed that this is literally and entirely 

 true ; but it is exact to a degree enough to prove the 

 wondrous manner in which the sense of touch is made 

 to supersede all the other senses. 



"Whether progressing on the solid surface, or 

 z 



