i S 3 Of the frejh Water Polype, 
place themfelves upon all bodies they meet with, and 
are about the bignefs of a grain of fand j fome polypes 
being put into this veffel, without taking any other care 
©f them, were nourifhed therein, and multiplied for eight 
mouths. ' 
Whence it appears, that large glaffes or pails, thus 
prepared with earth, (at the bottom of them) taken out 
ot ditches in the fummer-time, will be a convenient re- 
fidence for the polypes; for befides thofe infedt eggs 
that are contain’d in this earth, may be very often feen 
(efpecially if the water in the glafs be expofed to the air) 
the fpawn and nymphs of gnats, and of tupula, or water- 
fpiders, &c. Thefe veffels may then be fuccefsfully 
employed, and will fave the trouble of feeding the po¬ 
lypes we intend to preferve, and alfo of often changing 
the water. But when it is not changed and cleanfed 
for fome time, it is generally filled with an herb, as fine 
as hairs, in which the polypes entangle themfelves, and 
by which we are hinder’d from looking within-fide, if 
the veffel be not made of glafs ; however this inconveni¬ 
ence is prevented by putting into each veffel a few aqua¬ 
tic Brails, more or lefs in proportion to its fize; they 
will eat thefe plants as faff as they grow, whereby the 
water, and the fides of the veffel, will always remain clean. 
Sometimes two polypes feize the fame worm, and each 
begins to fwallow its own end of the worm, continuing 
to do fo till their mouths meet, fig. 378. In this pofture 
they remain for fome time, after which the worm breaks, 
and each polype hath its fhare; but at other times the 
battle does trot end there, for each of them continuing to 
difpute the prey, one of the polypes opens its mouth ad- 
vantageoufly, and attempts to fwallow the other polype 
with its portion of the worm, which he efiecfs in fome 
degree, and fometimes almoft entirely as at fig. 380.* 
Never thelefs 
