S H Y D R A. 



The Animal Flower. Hughes's Hift. of Barbadoes, 

 pag. 293. tab. 24. fig. 1. 



This animal flower is defcribed by Hughes in his 

 Hiftory of Barbadoes, and the figure reprefented in the 

 plate is taken from thence. 



Mr. Hughes obferves, that thefe animals on being dif- 

 turbed fink into holes ; which is very different from the 

 reft of this genus : befides, he fays he obferved four dark 

 colored threads, fomething like the legs of a fpider, rife 

 out from the center of what he calls the flower, with a 

 quick fpontaneous motion from one fide to the other of the 

 circular border of leaves : thefe in reality, he fays, were 

 fo many arms or feelers, clofing together in imitation of 

 a forceps, as if they had hemmed in their prey, which 

 the yellow border foon furrounded and clofed to fecure. 



From the foregoing defcription, the animal fhould 

 feem rather to be a particular fpecies of Tubularia, with 

 its tube in the hole of the rock ; but this muft be left to 

 future obfervations ; at prefent we fhall call it an Actinia. 



II. HYDRA. FRESH WATER POLYPE. 



Animal bafi fe affigens> This animal fixes itfelf by 



vagutn, gelatinofum^ li- its bafe ; it is gelatinous, li- 

 neare, nudum^ contrac- near, naked, can contract it- 

 tile. felf, and change its place. 



Os terminale^ cirrhis Its mouth, which is at one 

 fetaceis cinclum. end, is furrounded by hair- 



like feelers. 

 Prolibus lateralibus It fends forth its young 

 (autumno ovis) deciduis. ones from its fides, which drop 



off; but in the autumn it 

 produces eggs from its fides. 



Though 



