86 



LIFE, IN ITS LOWER FORMS. 



organs, together with the whole body, are exceedingly 

 extensile and contractile. It is voracious, and cannibal 

 in its appetite, swallowing even its fellows which are in 

 the incipient erratic condition. 



Meanwhile the number of tentacles increases by the 

 successive growth of new ones in the interspaces, until they 

 amount to thirty-two ; the Polype augments in size, and 

 even produces buds, as the Hydra does, which become 

 Polypes like itself, with the power of changing ultimately 

 into Medusae ; and at length it becomes marked with a 

 series of constrictions, which, growing more and more 

 deeply cut, divide the whole body into a number of dis- 

 tinct portions, which resemble so many tiny tea-cups piled 

 one within another. 



The changes thus described occupy the autumn and 

 winter months ; on the return of spring the little cups, 

 whose margins are cut into eight cleft processes, succes- 

 sively detach themselves from the body, turn themselves 

 over, and swim away, — minute, but veritable Medusas, — 

 needing only the development which abundant nutriment 

 soon supplies to become in all respects like their parents 

 of the preceding season. 



Such is the brief outline of some of the wonderful 

 phenomena displayed in the generation of the Sea-blubbers, 

 which are cast up by thousands on the shingle, to dissolve 

 beneath a summer's sun. Such is one of the works of 

 Him " whose way is in the sea, and whose path is in the 

 great waters, and whose footsteps are not known." (Ps. 

 lxxvii. 19.) 



But all the Medusas are not comprised in the umbrella- 

 formed Discophora. There are other orders, which we 



