in every poflible manner, at length inconteftibly pro-, 

 ved the truth of their furprifing, and feemingly impof- 

 iible properties. 



As it is the intention of this work to give as fhort 

 defcriptions as the nature of the fubj£& can admit o£ 

 we fhall, in our account of this animal, only relate in 

 very plain and brief terms the general hiftory of the 

 creature. 



The Polype is an aquatic animal, of which there are 

 feveral fpecies : of thefe one of the moft common is 

 that reprefented on the annexed plate ; viz. the Green 

 Polype, or Hydra Viridis of Linnaeus. It is a native 

 of clear waters, and may generally be found in great 

 plenty in fmali ditches and trenches of fields ; efpeci- 

 ally in the months of April and May. It affixes itfelf 

 by the tail to the under part of the leaves, and to the 

 ftalks of fuch vegetables as happen to grow immerfed 

 in the fame water. The animal confifts of a long tu- 

 bular body, the head of which is furnifhed with eight, 

 and fometimes ten long arms, or tentacula, which fur- 

 round the mouth or opening. It is capable of con- 

 trading its body in a very fudden manner when dis- 

 turbed ; fo as to appear only like a roundifh green 

 fpot ; and when the danger is over, it again extends 

 itfelf as before. It is of an extremely predacious na- 

 ture, and feeds on the various fpecies of fmall worms, 

 and other water-animals which happen to approach t 

 when any animal of this kind partes near the Polype, 

 it fuddenly catches it with its arms, and dragging it 

 to its mouth, fwallows it gradually in the fame man- 

 ner as a fnake fwallows a frog. The Polype has no 



anus 



