SEA-BLUBBEKS. 
79 
tooned, and scalloped disk, often a full foot or even more 
Across, it flaps its way through the yielding waters, and 
drags after it a long train of riband-like arms and seem- 
ingly interminable tails, marking its course when the body 
is far away from us. Onco tangled in its trailing ‘ hair,’ the 
Unfortunate who has recklessly ventured across tho grace- 
ful monster's path, too soon writhes in prickly torture. 
Every struggle but binds tho poisonous threads more 
firmly round his body, and then there is no escape ; for 
when the winder of the fatal net finds his course impeded 
fiy the terrified human wrestling in its coils, he, seeking 
uo combat with the mightier biped, casts loose his en- 
venomed arms and swims away. The amputated weapons, 
severed from their parent body, vent vengeance on the 
cause of their destruction, and sting us fiercely as if their 
original proprietor itself gave the word of attack.” * 
This remarkable property, there can be no doubt, resides 
in the barbed threads, which arc projected with amazing 
force from elastic capsules, and which are, in all proba- 
bility, connected with a reservoir of the most subtile 
poison. They are accumulated in vast numbers in the 
tentacles, iu the fimbriated furbelows, and in the edges of 
the lips, and probably in other parts. It is an astonishing 
right to witness the propulsion of myriads of these jave- 
lins, crossing and recrossing tlieir mutual courses, and 
rapidly turning themselves inside out, for, as we have 
befoie stated, the projection of each thread is an actual 
evolution of its whole length. 
Another property common to the Sea-blubbers, though 
not constant in all the species, is that of emitting phos- 
* Brit. Naked-cycd Medusco, p. 10. 
