56 



LIFE, IN ITS LOWER FORMS, 



operator forced the body of the one into the mouth of the 

 other, pushing it down so that the heads were brought 

 together. After forcibly keeping it for some time in this 

 state, the two individuals at length united, and a polype 

 was formed, distinguishable only by having twice the 

 usual number of tentacles. 



There is one species which can actually be turned inside 

 out like a glove, and yet perform all the f unctions of life 

 as before, though that which was the coat of the stomach 

 is now the skin of the body, and vice versa. If it should 

 chance that a polype so turned had young in the act of 

 budding, these are, of course, now within the stomach. 

 If they have arrived at a certain degree of maturity, they 

 extend themselves towards the mouth of the parent, that 

 they may thus escape when separated. But those which 

 are less advanced turn themselves spontaneously inside 

 out, and thus place themselves again on the exterior of the 

 parent. 



A multitude of other variations, combinations, and 

 monstrosities, have been, as it were, created by the 

 ingenuity of philosophers ; but these are sufficient to give 

 a notion of the extraordinary nature of these animals, 

 and to account for the wonder with which they were re- 

 garded. 



f» The Hydra was, until lately, considered as an animal 

 of very simple structure, being composed of mere gra- 

 nules of jelly, set in a glairy, enveloping fluid. But the 

 further we push our researches, the more are we disposed 

 to hesitate in pronouncing on the comparative simplicity 

 or complexity of any organism. We have already seen 

 the elaborate array of weapons in the tentacles. M. 



