-city, "by winch, with great dexterity, they bring the atoms feized on, if they a!f 
found good for food, to the mouth ; if not, after being retained a little while, they 
are allowed to drop away. Hence it is evident, that the central fenfe extends to 
the extremity of each tentacula, and there judges whether the articles it lays hold 
of be proper for aliment. The action of the extremity of the ray in that fu£tt° n » 
when applied to the finger, feels as if there were a little hook in it, catching d"‘ e 
-hold it takes. The appearance of its mufcular powers in the microfcope, is g lV ' en 
at A. There is alfo an attractive power, or adhefive faculty, in the Tides of the teiv ' 
tacula, as magnified at B ; the means exerted to occafion it, not eafy to be apP lC 
hended. 
Thefe animals are not immoveably fixed to the places of the rocks where they 
take up their abode : they have a locomotive power ; but their procedure along t ' lC 
rock is very flow, and they but feldom are inclined to exert themfelves in d 1 * 5 
way. When they find their fituation peculiarly uncomfortable, they have anoth er 
mode of tranfportation at command, which has not been perhaps fufficiently at j 
tended to, at lead is not mentioned in Dr. Solander’s illuftration of Mr. ElD s - 
plates. They are provided within with an expanfive film, or thin fpreading m exri 
brane, which they can blow up at pleafure to a perfect balloon, large as the v?h° 
animal, as at C ; and by this means being rendered fpecjfically lighter than th c 
water, they float on the furface until inclined to feek for another refidence ; then th e l 
contract and draw in the membrane, and fo diving to the bottom, affix themfelv’ eS 
anew into fuch chinks of the rocks as will yield them bed protection, and whet c 
they may find the freed circulation of the tide. , 
The general appearance of the body of the animal, beginning to open and unf° 
its tentacula, is reprefented at D. By a very gradual procedure it advances h 001 
that date, until the diverging aCtive rays attain their dations in concentric cir c ^ s ' 
and affiime the form of the full-fpread flower, and beautiful arrangement of 1 
figure E. If any little fifh, or Jhell with its animal in it, once falls within 
iphere of thefe rays, it is irretrievably entangled : the moment that one ray 
nounces the approaching acquifltion, die whole lydem direCt their attention to 
prey it is feized on, and enclofed on every fide, folded clofe into the bofoin o 
animal, until the voracious mouth hath fwallowed it up. It gulps down limp ets f 
•buckies, fliell and all, and, after fucking out the fnails, ejeCls die ffiells again. ^ ^ . 
fliell fwallowed is very large, it finds difficulty in getting it back to the m° u ^ 
and in that cafe forces it through its fide, regardlefs of the miifcles, which^j 
tears afunder. 
polypes are delicate 
■The whole body and tentacula of thefe very 
and tender in extreme ; eafily injured by any 
beat ^ 1 
exter 
r 
J *' A * '** ' J 
violence, but have a remarkable power of recovery from the feveied w ° ll ^ er y 
like thofe of Milton’s Angels, by an inherent virtue they immediately, 01 . 
foon, clofe up and heal again. If one is completely divided, or cut afl in e £ 
three or four parts, it does not deflroy its organization with its individuality > 
■each feparate part becomes a diftinCt animal, in a few days form their feveral 
circles of tentacula around a central mouth, and enjoy renewed exiftence. A* 1 
peculiarity is perhaps one of the molt ftriking phaenomena of animal life. 
