Of the frejh Water Polype. 1B7 
Polypes may alfo be nouriftied by thefe worms, but 
they are more difficult for them to digeft, and not at all 
fit food for them in winter. 
Mr. Trembley hath alfo feen them eat a worm, which 
he calls a tranfparent tipula, of which Mr. Reaumer 
fpeaks in the fortieth page of the memoir juft cited. 
Having in the month of June taken a great quantity 
of little fifh, about four tenths of an inch long, he 
gave fome of them to the polypes, but the extreme vi¬ 
vacity of this fifh, was almoft too much for them to en¬ 
counter with ; however, all the polypes that feized them, 
.did fwallow them, and the tails of the long armed fort 
were obliged to ftretch open to receive the fifh : one of 
the fecond fort is reprefented at fig. 377. which had 
fwallowed one of thefe little fifh; and as its fkin a b 9 
was fo tranfparent, and flexible, it took the form thereof, 
.and appear’d like a fifh with long whifkers. 
The polypes eat the major part of thofe little infedls 
that are found in frefh water ; they are very well nou¬ 
rifhed with worms, and the nymphs of gnats, and other 
flies; they will alfo eat larger animals if they are cut 
into little pieces, as fnai.ls, and other larger aquatic in- 
fedts, and earth worms, the entrails of frefh-water fifh, 
and butcher’s meat, as mutton, beef, and veal. 
Mr. Trembley put into the bottom of a vefiel, fome 
of the earth taken out of a ditch, imagining that a 
great number of little infedis might be lodged therein, 
or at leaft the eggs of fome; which experiment fucceeded 
very well, for from the end of February 1742. it was 
ftored with various forts of little animals ; but particu¬ 
larly with one fort, which is inclofed in a two-fold fhell j 
when this fhell was but a little opened, they put forth 
feveral minute feet or arms, that move exceeding quick, 
and by means of this motion they fwim, Thefe animals 
place 
