Microscopical Essays. 154 



tremities of the arms. When the arms are thus extended, the 

 creature, by giving them a vibratory motion, can produce a cur- 

 rent in the water, which brings the animalcula, and otber minute 

 bodies that are floating near it, into it's mouth, fituated between 

 the arms. The food, if agreeable to the creature, is (wallowed ; 

 if not, it is rejected by a contrary motion. As the fkin is tranf- 

 parent, the animal may be feen very plain when it has retired 

 within the tube. 



The body is about one-eighth of an inch long, without reckon- 

 ing the plume, which is about the fame length. It is cylindrical, 

 and the (kin is very tranfparent. The plume is only a continua- 

 tion of this tranfparent fkin, it is very broad in proportion to the 

 body, and of a remarkable figure; the bafe is of the fhape 

 of a horfefhoe, from this bafe the arms project, they bend rather 

 outwards. The plume which they form gives them a refemblance 

 to fome flowers. The arms may be compared, from their 

 finenefs and tranfparency, to very fine threads of glafs. The 

 bafe of the plume is grooved, and is fixed to the animal by the 

 middle of the horfefhoe which it forms, and it is here that there is 

 an opening which ferves as a mouth to the animal. The interlines 

 are eafily diilinguifhed through it's tranfparent fkin ; when it has 

 juft been eating, they are of a deep brown colour. Three prin- 

 cipal parts may be diflinguifhed, the oefophagus e h i, the 

 flomach f g, and the reclum fa. 



The plumed polype is very voracious, devouring a great num- 

 ber of fmall animals. The arms, when obferved attentively 

 with the microfcope, will be found to bend from moment to mo- 

 ment within fide of the plume, and then rife up again ; 



3 I 2 then 



