Microscopical Essays, 



435 



of it's caufe ; upon the branches of thefe clutters are round 

 bodies, which will be more particularly defcribed prefently. 



Every clufter has eight or nine of thefe branches, or leaves ; 

 they do not all proceed from the fame point, but the points from 

 whence they fet out are not far afunder ; each of thefe branches is 

 bent a little inwards, fo that all of them taken together form a 

 kind of (hallow cup. If the eye is placed right over the bafe of 

 this cup, the appearance of the whole eight or nine branches is 

 like unto that of a ftar, with fo many rays proceeding from the 

 center. If the clufter is {lightly touched, all the branches inftantly 

 fold up, and form a fmall round mafs. The Item which fiu> 

 ports the clufter contracts alfo at the fame time, folding up like a 

 workman's meafuring rule, that confifts of three or four joints. 

 This extraordinary aflemblage conftitutes one organized whoIe 9 

 formed of a multitude of fimilar and particular ones. A new fpe- 

 cies of fociety, in which all the individuals are members of each 

 other in the ftri&eft fenfe, and all participate of the fame life. 



A few days after one of thefe clufters is formed, fmall round 

 bodies, or bulbs, may be perceived to protrude in feveral places 

 from the body of the branch ; thefe grow very faft, and arrive at 

 their greateft growth in two or three days. The bulbs detach 

 themfelves from the branches out of which they fpring, and go 

 away, fwimming till they can fettle upon fome fubftance which 

 they meet with in the water, and to which they fix themfelves by 

 a fhort pedicle ; the bulbs are then round, only a little flatted oa 

 the under fide, the pedicle continues to lengthen gradually for 

 about twenty-four hours, during the fame time the bulbs alfo 

 change their figure, and become nearly oval. There are in a 



^ G 2 clufter 



