File:A naturalist's rambles on the Devonshire coast (Page 377) (5980719379).jpg

ITS DEATH. 377
The capsules of the furbelows do not differ in size
or appearance from those of the tentacles ; they -are
however distributed in groups, consisting of from
thirty to sixty, large and small capsules together ;
these groups form the minute white specks that are
seen dotting the whole surface of these organs. None
were seen in the ovaries.
Notwithstanding this armature, the species appears
to have no stinging power appreciable to our senses.
I passed the back of my fiuger, where the skin is very
sensible, over the surface of both tentacles and fur-
belows. They adhered, indeed, to my skin, but no
sensation of stiuging was felt, nor any other unplea-
santness.
This Medusa lived about three weeks in a glass
vase, and died at the end of that time what I may
call a natural death ; that of exhaustion from the
discharge of ova. Eeproduction, as is well known, is
the great object of existence, in many of the inverte-
brate animals, and also its closing act. It may be
so with this Medusa.
In the mean time I found another specimen, closely
agreeing with the former in appearance, but slightly
smaller,^ — floating in one of the nooks of the harbour
of Ilfracombe.
The species is doubtless the Cyanea chrysaora of
Cuvier's Eegne Animal (Edit. 1836) ; of which a
figure, not very accurate, is given in plate xlvii. The
editors refer it to Chrysaora cyclonota of Peron and
Lesueur. It was first described by Borlase in the
Nat. Hist, of Cornwall ; and his description and
figure are quite recognisable.