THE INTELLECTUAL OBSERVER. 



NOVEMBER, 1863. 



PHYSALIA PELAGICA. 



(The Poetuguese Man-of-War.) 



(With, an Illustration in Colours, from a Living Specimen in the Aquarium of 

 P. S. Bird, Esq.) 



BY H. NOEL HUMPHREYS. 



The wide range of zoophytic life, comprising as it does so many 

 objects equally remarkable for singularly anomalous organiza- 

 tion and exquisite colouring, presents us with no form combin- 

 ing more remarkable structure with, a display of more truly 

 gorgeous tints than the singular creature popularly known 

 among English sailors as the Portuguese man-of-war. This 

 beautiful zoophyte, as seen floating — sometimes singly and 

 sometimes in vast numbers — on the tropical seas, attracted the 

 attention of naturalists at a very early early period, though the 

 nature of its structure and its place in natural history were only 

 acurately defined at a comparatively recent epoch. In modern 

 times it has been known among seafaring men of different coun- 

 tries by several such names as the galley, the frigate, or other 

 appellations of similar import, in consequence of the crest which 

 it has the power of erecting along the ridge of the back, which, 

 when caught by the wind, assumes somewhat the appearance 

 of a natural sail, by means of which it seems enabled to glide 

 rapidly over the surface of the water. This, however, is not 

 the case, as it does not move by this means, nor does it appear 

 to possess the power of imparting any special direction to its 

 course, which is entirely at the mercy of wind and wave. Our 

 own sailors probably gave it the more distinctive name of the 

 Portuguese man-of-war,* from first meethig with these crea- 

 tures about the latitude of the Portuguese island of Madeira. 



* Our neighbour, Dr. Julian Evans, informs me that while residing iu 

 Madeira, a Portuguese physician inquired of him, with half angry feeling, why 

 this poor, powerless creature, was called by the English a Portuguese man-of-war, 

 and whether any insult to the Portuguese navy was intended ? To which he 

 replied that the nime doubtless arose in that glorious period of Portuguese 

 history, the beginuing of the 17th century, when the Portuguese man-of-war, like 

 the Phjsalia, was seen on almost every sea. 



VOL. II. NO. IV". S 



