POL 
activity. Where this animal is not molefled, and 
the feafon is favourable, it's arms are thrown 
about in various dire£lions, in order to entangle 
and feize it's puny prey; and fometimes three or 
four of the arms are thus employed, while the reft 
are contrafled, like the horns of a fnail, within 
the animal's body: and it feems to be capable of 
protruding thefe arms to whatever diftance it 
pleafes, in proportion to the remotenefs of the ob- 
jedt it wifhes to feize; 
The Polypi have a progrefiive motion, which is 
performed by the faculty they poffefs of lengthen- 
ing and contracting themfelvcs at pleafure : they 
move from one part of the bottom of the water to 
another, mount along the margin, and climb aqua- 
tic plants. They are often feen near the furface 
of the water, where they fufpend themfelves by 
their lower ends. As their motion is but How, 
they employ a confiderable time in every exer- 
tion, affixing themfelves very ftrongly to whatever 
fubftances they chance to move on as they pro- 
ceed; which adhefion is voluntary, and probably 
performed after the manner of a cupping-glafs ap- 
plied to the body. 
All animals of this kind have a remarkable pro- 
penfity of turning towards the light; and this cir- 
curhftance might naturally induce an enquirer to 
fearch for their eyes : but, however carefully this 
fcrutiny has been purfued, and however excellent 
the microfcope with v/hich every part has been 
examined, yet nothing bearing the leaft rcfem- 
blance to this organ has ever been found over the 
whole body ; and it is extremely probable that, 
like feveral other infeCls which hunt their prey by 
feeling, they are deftitute of organs which are by 
no means neceflary for their accommodation. 
The mouth of the Polypus, as already obferved, 
is placed in the centre of the arms; and this 
(which fcrves at once as a paffage for food, and 
an eacrefs for it after digeftion) is opened and 
fhut according to the pleafure of the infeCl. The 
inward part of the animal's body feems to be one 
great ftomach, open at both ends: the purpofes 
which the aperture at the bottom anfwers are as 
yet unknown ; but certainly the excrements do 
not pafs this way, being invariably obferved to be 
ejeded by the fame opening whereby they are ad- 
mitted. 
If the furface of this little creature's body be 
examined with a microfcope, it will be found fiud- 
ded with a number of warts ; as alfo the arms, par- 
ticularly where they are contradled; and thefe tu- 
bercles, as will prefently appear, anfwer a very im- 
portant purpole. If v/e inveftigate the manner of 
this animal's life, we fhall find it chiefly fubfifting 
on other infeCts much lefs than itfelf; particularly 
a kind of millepedes, that live in the water; and 
a very fmall red worm, which it feizes with great 
avidity. In fliort, no creature whatever, fmaller 
than itfelf, feems to come amifs. Whenever the 
Polypus perceives it's prey, of which it gains a 
knowledge by the fenfe of feeling, it is fufficient 
only K> touch it, and it is immediately entangled. 
The inftant one of the long arms of the Polypus 
is laid on a millepede, the little animal flicks to it 
fo efFedually, as to be utterly unable to efcape; 
and the greater the diftance at which it is touched, 
the greater the facility with which the Polypus 
brings it to it's miouth. But if the little objed. 
be near, though irretrievably caught, it is not 
without great difficulty conveyed to the mouth, 
and fwallowed. 
When the Polypus is unfupplied with food, it 
indicates it's hunger by opening it's mouth; the 
aperture, however, is fo iinall, as not to be eafily 
perceived: but when, with any of it's long arms, 
it has feized on it's prey, it then opens it's mouth 
diftinftly enough; and this opening is always in 
proportion to the fize of die animal which it Vv ould 
Iwallow; the lips dilate infenfibly by fmail de- 
grees, and adjuft themfelves precifely to the figure 
of the prey. Mr. Trembley, who amufed himfelf 
with feeding this unobtrufive tribe, found that 
they could devour food of every kind, fifh and 
flefli, as well as infefis; but he acknowledges that 
they did not feed fo well on beef and veal as on 
the litde worms of their own providing: and when 
he offered one of thefe famifhed reptiles any fub- 
ftance improper for aliment, it at firft feized it 
with avidity, but after keeping it fome time en- 
tangled near it's mouth, it let it drop with a kind 
of difcriminating nicety. 
When leveral Polypi happen to attack the fam.e 
worm, they difpute their common prey with con- 
fiderable refolution. Two of them are often^ob- 
ferved feizing the fame worm at different ends, 
and dragging ir at oppofite diredions with great 
force. It frequently happens, that while one is 
fwallowing ii's rcfpedtive end, the other is alfo 
employed in the fame manner; and thus they con- 
tinue fwallowing each his part, till their mouths 
meet together: they then reft for fome time in 
this fituation, till the worm breaks between them, 
and then each goes off with it's ftiare. But an 
apparently more dangerous combat often happens 
when the mouths of both infeds are thus joined 
together on one common prey; the largeft Poly- 
pus then gapes, and fv/allows it's antagonift: and, 
what feems rather v/onderful, the animal thus 
fwallowed appears a gainer by the misfortune; 
for, after it has lain in the captor's body about an 
hour, it iffues thence uninjured, and often in pof- 
feffion of the very prey which had been the ori- 
ginal occafion of the difpute. 
Thus thefe animals continue feeding during 
the whole year, except when the cold approaches 
to congelation; and then, like moft others of the 
infed tribe, they yield to the general torpor of 
nature, and all their faculties are fufpended for 
two or three months: but if they abftain at one 
time, they are equally voracious at another; and, 
like fnakes, ants, and other animals which are tor- 
pid in winter, the meal of one day fuffices them 
for feveral iiicccffive months. In general, how- 
ever, they devour more largely in proportion to 
their fize; and their grovv'th js exadly in propor- 
tion as they are fed: fach as are beft fupplied, 
fooneft acquire their largeft fize; but they dimi- 
niffi alfo in their growth with the fame facility, 
when their food is either leffened or taken away. 
Such are the more obvious peculiarities of thefe 
little animals; but the moft wonderful ftill remain 
to be defcribed. Their manner of propagation, 
or rather multiplication, has for fome years been 
the aftonifhment of all tiie learned and curious in 
Europe. They are produced as varioufly as any 
fpecies of vegetable: fome Polypi are propagated 
from eggs, as plants are from their feeds; others 
are produced by buds iffuing from their bodies, as 
plants are raifedby inoculation; while all may be 
multiplied by cuttings, and this to a degree of mi- 
nutenefs that exceeds even philofophical perfeve- 
rance. With regard to fuch of this kind as are 
hatched from the egg, but little curious can be 
added. 
I 
