r 
66 LIFE AND HER CHILDREN. 
its huge lips begins to lengthen and expand, the 
eye-spots develop under their hooded covering, the 
tentacles sweep out into the sea, and the shoal of 
terrible monster jelly-fish is abroad again 
"all in motion 
Far away upon the ocean, 
Going for the sake of going, 
Wheresoever waves are flowing, 
Wheresoever winds are blowing." 
And here we must leave them. The history of all 
jelly-fish is not exactly alike, for they do not all go 
through the strange transformations just described. 
The beautiful purple Portuguese man-of-war, with its 
rose-tinted jelly-sail, is born a wanderer like its parent, 
and so are also the lovely " Hanging-Bells,"* which 
have from ten to twelve, and even sometimes as 
many as sixty, clear, transparent bells hanging from 
their stalk, like blossoms on a flower, while a clear 
bubble shining like quicksilver serves as their float 
These and many others have each their special history 
for those who care to study them, and even this brief 
glance at the wandering lasso-throwers will surely 
lead us to look with more interest on the shapeless 
dying lump of jelly on the sea-shore, now that we 
know it to have been an active living animal with 
powerful weapons, sensitive nerves, and jewelled eyes. 
After following the free adventurous life of a 
travelled jelly-fish, it seems almost like visiting some 
quiet little country village, to turn to the dreamy sea- 
anemones, living from day to day in their rocky 
pools. How still and beautiful they are, with thcii 
* Phosphoridae. 
