as magnified. It is a native of clear ftagnant waters, 
living in a kind of congregated manner; feveral in¬ 
dividuals to the number of ten, twelve, or fifteen, 
inhabiting a common or general receptacle: each 
exerting its own voluntary motions independent of 
the reft. To the naked eye the whole groupe ap¬ 
pears of the fize reprefented by the fmaller figure. 
It is generally attached either to the fmall fibres of 
roots projecting into the water, or to the ftems of 
aquatic plants as Lemna, Brooklime, and others. 
The body of each animal is tranfparent, of a fub- 
cylindric, tubular form, and is included in a larger 
or exterior tube, from which the head or upper part 
is at pleafure protruded. The larger or exterior 
tubes are connected to the veficular and fomewhat 
bell-fliaped general receptacle, which is of a gelati¬ 
nous fubftance, and is divided at the top or border 
into feveral tubular, truncated fegments. The head 
of the animal confifts of two large, femicircular, 
expanfile parts or organs, the tentacula of which are 
extremely numerous, in fhape refembling an italic 
/, and, when expanded, reprefenting in fome mea- 
fure the figure of an horfe-fhoe. The whole is of a 
glaffy tranfparency, and the various flexures of the 
tentacula, moving with rapidity in different direc¬ 
tions, afford a fpedlacle which it is not poffible by any 
engraving to exprefs with fufficient exaeftnefs, fince 
nothing but an acftual view of the animal can 
convey a genuine idea of this particular; every 
varying pofition of the tentacula difplaying an ele¬ 
gance peculiar to itfelf. When difturbed they fud- 
denly 
