THE LASSO-THROWERS. 
65 
the hydras of the colony, which may be great-great- 
grand-buds of the hydra which settled down. 
They lengthen out and their bodies divide into 
rings (c and d y Fig. 24), and as these rings grow 
deeper and deeper the tentacles fall away from the 
Fig. 24. 
The childhood of the jelly-fish shown in Fig. 23. 
a, Swimming jelly-body, b, The same fixed to a rock, which may 
go on budding like a hydra and giving off forms like itself for many 
years, c, The hydra beginning to divide into rings, d, Rings becom- 
ing more perfect, e, Rings breaking off from the hydra. e\ One ring 
which has turned over and begun to grow into a jelly-fish. e" 9 The 
same developing into the perfect jelly-fish as in Fig. 23. 
top and begin to grow out below (e), and at last one of 
the rings drops off from the top, a complete saucer 
(/), and turning over so that the domed part is upper- 
most, begins to contract and expand its rim, and sails 
away a minute jelly-fish ! Other rings follow in its 
path, and the descendant of the fixed hydra has again 
become a group of wandering lasso-throwers. 
And now the floating domes begin to grow rapidly; 
in each one the umbrella thickens, the stomach with 
