The Hiftory of ANIMALS. 
other extremity : at the larger extremity there is a large opening, which is the mouth 
and round about this are placed the tentacula; they are eight in number, and are 
ulually extended to about hair the length of the body; the creature can at pleafure con- 
tia6t it s body into a much (mailer compafs, or diftend it into a larger; it can reduce 
it to a (hort button, as it were, or extend it a much more confiderable length; but the 
tentacula ate yet more diftenfible. I have had fome of them, that have extended them 
to feven inches in length, in which date they become of an almoft unconceivable fine- 
nefs; and the dimenlions of the glafs I kept the creature in, feemed at that time to fet 
limits to the extenfion, which nature had not: by means of eight of thefe tentacula, or 
arms, as they are commonly called, thus expanded into a circle of more than a foot 
diameter, the creature feels every thing that can ferve it as food, that ftirs in that por¬ 
tion of the water in which it lives, and, feizing the prey with one of them, calls in the 
alMance of the reft, if neceffary, to conduct it to it’s mouth. 
There does not appear to be any thing analogous to copulation in this animal, in 
order to the producing it’s fpecies. A Angle one, put by itfelf into a glafs of water, 
will, after a little time, produce from it’s fides, in different places, feveral young ones 5 
and thefe, while they yet adhere to the parent animal, will alfo have others produced 
from their fides; fo that it is not uncommon to fee a parent animal loaded with ten, or 
even twenty young ones, and their progeny, before any drop off. 
What is however the moft Angular property, in the increafe of this Infedt, is the 
reproduction of the mutilated parts, and indeed the growth of the whole from any 
fegment; not only the tentacula, or arms, are reproduced after being cut off, but the 
tail, or the head, with the whole apparatus of the tentacula, will be reproduced on the 
body after cutting off ; and the part cut off will alfo reproduce the body; in fine, there 
is no part of the Infedt, which, on being feparated from the reft, will not reproduce all 
that is wanting to make it aperfedt animal; fo that the (hort way to have a number 
from one Polype is to cut it into feveral pieces, each of which will foon be a perfedt 
animal, and will produce it’s young ones in the method already mentioned. 
This fpecies is frequent in Holland ; we have it alfo in our ditches, but lefs fre¬ 
quently than fome of the other kinds. It’s food is the common afcaris, or fmall red 
worm, abundant in the mud of the Thames, and moft of our ponds and rivers. 
Biota corpore craffiore tentaculis brevioribus. 
The thicker-bodied Biota , with Jhorter tentacula . 
This is a fmaller fpecies than the former, and, in it’s date of moderate contraction, is 
fhorter and thicker in proportion than that : it’s ufual length is half an inch } it’s head 
is larger than in the former ; and it’s colour, a dufky greenifh, or olive : it’s tentacu¬ 
la are ufually not more than a third of the length of it’s body; it can indeed extend 
them to feveral inches, but not fully to the dimenfions of the other. 
This fpecies is very common with us in the little drains, cut through our meadows 
for carrying off the water : it adheres by the tail to (licks, and to the ftalks of the water 
plants : it has all the properties of the former. 
Biota tenuior albefcem tentaculis capillaceis . 
The /lender y whitijh Biota , with capillaceous tentacula . 
This, in a (late of moderate contraction, is equal to the firft fpecies in length, but it 
is very (lender, and all the way of the fame thicknefs: the colour is white: the tenta¬ 
cula are extreamly minute; they are alfo white, and may be diftended to a great 
length. 
It is not unfrequent in our trout rivers, adhering to the ftalks of the water plants. 
It feeds on fmall worms, and other Infedts, and has all the qualities and properties 
of the others. 
Biota corpore brevi y tentaculis brevibus . 
The Biota y with a Jhort body , and port tentacula , 
This is a very fmall fpecies: it’s body is (hort, and fome what thick in proportion to 
it’s length, and is white : the tentacula are very fine and very (hort; they are diften¬ 
fible to a fmall degree, but not at all in the manner of the others. 
'It 
