THE HYDRA 219 
and thrust into the mouth, to be digested in due 
course. When not feeding, or when alarmed, the 
animal may be seen to have collapsed into what may 
be termed a shapeless mass. Careful examination 
shows that the body and tentacles of the Hydra are 
covered with little lumps, like warts or pimples. 
These are cells containing stinging threads, which 
are forcefully emitted as occasion arises, and are 
used to disable prey. 
But the story of the Hydra is not yet told; the 
most wonderful part of it is to come. The creature 
can be turned inside out, and yet live and thrive, 
being able to capture and digest food even in what we 
should think to be a most uncomfortable condition. 
Cut the body into two, and each half will shortly 
become a perfect whole. If you think you can kill 
Master Hydra by cutting him into piecemeal, you 
may be disappointed ; divide him into twenty, or 
even twice twenty, portions; each portion will 
develop into a complete Hydra. Cut up each new 
Hydra in a similar manner, and each piece of it, too, 
will become a Hydra. If you slit the gentleman 
lengthwise nearly to the foot, the two sections will 
grow together, and the astounding creature will 
shortly carry on his business as if nothing extra- 
ordinary had happened. On the other hand, if 
you slit him from the foot nearly as far as the mouth, 
you will have one head with two bodies. Cut off 
the tentacles, and new ones soon come to replace 
them, while the tentacles you have removed will 
grow into separate Hydras. Thus you actually 
increase the number of Hydras by cutting them up. 
As likely as not, if you cut a notch into the body of 
