PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR. 69 
The colony or hydrosome of the Portuguese man-of-war 
consists of long locomotive tentacles, which, when the ani- 
mal is driven by its broad sail or float before the wind, 
stretch out in large individuals 
from thirty to fifty feet. 
These large Hydra-like zooids are arranged in small groups, 
arising from a hollow stem com- 
municating with the chymiferous 
cavity extending between the in- 
ner and outer wall of the float. 
The ‘‘ feeders ’’ are of two kinds, 
large and small, and are clustered 
in branches growing from a com- 
mon hollow stem, also communi- 
cating with the chymiferous or 
body-cavity. L. Agassiz, whose 
description of this animal we are 
condensing, states that he has 
seen these feeders ‘‘ gorged with 
food almost to bursting,’’ but has 
never seen undigested food in 
any of the other organs. The 
medusa-buds (gonophores) arise 
from a third set of very small 
Hydras, but form very large clus- 
ters suspended between the clus- 
ters of feeders. These reproduc- 
tive zooids resemble the locomo- 
tive zooids, but, like the feeders, 
have no tentacles. The medusa- 
buds, which are male or female, 
arise singly, either from the base 
of the reproductive zooids or 
from the stems which unite the 
latter. These buds, as in Tudu- 
Oy 
Fig. 49.—Physalia, or Portuguese 
man-of-war.—After Agassiz, 
laria, wither without dropping from their parent stock. It 
appears, then, that the floating 
hydrosome of .a Siphon- 
ophore is like that of the fixed Hydractinia or Coryne, with 
the addition of locomotive zooids and a float, as seen in 
Physalia, Velella, or the swimming-bells of Halistemma. 
