Marvels of the Universe 827 
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Unlike their cousins, the jelly-fishes and sea-anemones, that have “stinging cells” wherewith 
to kill or paralyze their prey, the Comb-bearers (except one foreign species) are without these 
weapons ; but instead of such they have “ glue-cells,” that, like the sticky hairs on some insect- 
feeding plants, cause the adhesion of any little living things that come in contact with them. In 
the tentacle-bearing species, like Hormophora, the long streamers are abundantly set with these glue- 
cells, and, acting like animated “ fly tapes,” they reap a rich harvest in the teeming microscopic 
life of the sea. How the captures are transferred to the mouth has not, I believe, been observed, 
but it is quite evident that these tentacles are the chief purveyors. 
Locomotion, in the globose forms, is performed chiefly by the waving of the comb-like paddles 
that fringe the vertical bands, and the motion of these, proceeding with rhythmic precision from 
base to summit, gives an appearance of waves of light flowing continuously along them. T heir 
colouring is borrowed direct from the sun, for they reflect the rays of light, which are split 
up and wrought into new combinations, so that a radiance of silver and gold, and delicate shades 
of crimson and blue, violet and emerald, ripple along the rows of paddles, and are reflected from 
the smooth spaces between. Then, as a crowning glory, the majority of these creatures shine at 
night with a soft, effulgent light. 
A species frequently met with in the English Channel is Beroé. In shape this is like a 
Phrygian cap, and, like Ocyroe and Venus’ Girdle, it is without tentacles ; its average size is a little 
below that shown in the figure, but it sometimes reaches a length of five or six inches. It 
is pigmented, and its iridescence is reflected from a surface of pink and buff, whilst a net- 
work—the course of its circulating canals—is spread like an ornamental design over the whole 
surface. 
A very beautiful one—a native of warm seas—is the Many-horned Eacharis. This is nearly of 
Photo by) [E. Step, F.LS. 
DRY ROT FUNGUS. 
Back of oak panelling, showing the fungus in situ, spreading upwards in a semicircular manner. The soft margin is about 
two inches in thickness The two portions above have been removed from other parts of the woodwork. 
