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1
164
Glaucus; Or, The Wonders of the Shore
·
Charles Kingsley
155
POLYZOA.
Among
Polyzoa
the
animal’s
body
is
coated
with
a
membraneous
covering,
like
that
of
the
Tunicated
Mollusca,
but
which
is
a
continuation
of
the
edge
of
the
cell,
which
doubles
back
upon
the
body
in
such
a
manner
that
when
the
animal
protrudes
from
its
cell
it
pushes
out
the
flexible
membrane
just
as
one
would
turn
inside
out
the
finger
of
a
glove.
This
oneness
of
cell
and
polype
is
a
distinctive
character
of
the
group.
Another
is
the
higher
organization
of
the
internal
parts.
The
mouth,
surrounded
by
tentacles,
leads
by
gullet
and
gizzard
through
a
channel
into
a
digesting
stomach,
from
which
the
rejectable
matter
passes
upwards
through
an
intestinal
canal
till
it
is
discharged
near
the
mouth.
The
tentacles
also
differ
much
from
those
of
true
Polypes.
Instead
of
being
fleshy
and
contractile,
they
are
rather
stiff,
resembling
spun
glass,
set
on
the
sides
with
vibrating
cilia,
which
by
their
motion
up
one
side
and
down
the
other
of
each
tentacle,
produce
a
current
which
impels
their
living
food
into
the
mouth.
When
these
tentacles
are
withdrawn,
they
are
gathered
up
in
a
bundle,
like
the
stays
of
an
umbrella.
Our
Plate
I.
contains
the
following
examples
of
Polyzoa.
VALKERIA
CUSCUTA.
Pl.
I.
fig.
3.
From
a
group
in
one
of
Mr.
Lloyd’s
vases.
Fig.
3
A
is
the
natural
size
of
the
central
group
of
cells,
in
a
specimen
coiled
round
a
thread-like
weed.
Underneath
this
is
the
same
portion
enlarged.
When
magnified
to
this
apparent
size,
the
cells
could
be
seen
in
different
states,
some
closed,
and
others
with
their
bodies
protruded.
When
magnified
to
3
D,
we
could
pleasantly
watch
the
gradual
eversion
of
the
membrane,
then
the
points
of
the
tentacles
slowly
appearing,
and
then,
when
fully
protruded,
suddenly
expanding
into
a
bell-shaped
circle.
This
was
their
usual
appearance,
but
sometimes
they
could
be
noticed
bending
inwards,
as
in
fig.
3
C,
as
if
to
imprison
some
living
atom
of
importance.
Fig.
B
represents
two
tentacles,
showing
the
direction
in
which
the
cilia
vibrate.
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