DESCENDING in the scale of animal organization, we come next to the subkingdom RadiÁta, or that in which the parts are arranged in a radiate manner around a centre. Of this there are three classes,—the Echinoder´mata (??????, hedgehog, d??a, skin), containing the Sea-urchins (EchÍnus), Starfishes, &c., in which the skin is furnished with hard calcareous projecting spines or curiously formed imbedded calcareous corpuscles, forming a rudimentary skeleton; the AcalÉphÆ (??a??f?, a nettle), or Sea-nettles; and the Pol´ypi (p????, many, p???, foot), to which we shall confine our notice. It may be remarked that the last two classes have recently been united to form the single class CoelenterÁta (??????, hollow, ??te???, intestine).

Polypi.—These animals are mostly marine. They are either single (Pl. XI. fig. 5), or compound (Pl. XI. fig. 15), i. e. the bodies are united; in the latter case the bodies being usually situated in horny cells upon a branched polypidom. But in many of them, which do not occur in this country, there is an internal solid calcareous skeleton, of which coral is an example. The animal bodies are soft, and furnished at the front end with a crown of tentacles (fig. 15 a); these are contractile, and serve to enable the animals to catch their prey. The horny, branched, and plant-like polypidoms are often found on the seashore, and are popularly confounded with sea-weeds.

Hy´dra vulgÁris (Pl. XI. fig. 5) is a fresh-water species, which is commonly met with among collections of water-plants, and may generally be obtained by collecting some of these and placing them in a glass jar of fresh water. When the water has stood for some hours, the Polypes will be seen, on careful examination, adhering to the sides of the glass. The body of the animals is cylindrical, hollow, and furnished with from six to ten tentacles, arranged in a circle, in the centre of which is the mouth. The tentacles are hollow, and communicate with the cavity of the body. On examination with a high power, the tentacles will be found to exhibit minute oval sacs, containing a long fibre coiled up within them; and when the tentacles are touched by any foreign body, the fibres are suddenly discharged. These are the stinging or urticating organs. The HydrÆ move very slowly; but the body is very contractile, and is often seen of various forms. When a minute animal, as an Entomostracan, happens to come into contact with the tentacles, these curve around it, holding it firmly, and finally bringing it to the mouth. It is then forced into the cavity of the body of the animal, where it is digested, the remains being discharged at the mouth. The movements of the Hydra, when devouring its prey, form a very curious and interesting spectacle. The HydrÆ are propagated by budding or gemmation, also by the formation of capsules in the walls of the body, containing ova and spermatozoa. The young Polypes formed by budding are represented in the figure, adhering to the base of the parent.

SertulÁria pÚmila (Pl. XI. fig. 15) is a marine species, the polypidom being frequently found adhering to Fuci and other sea-weeds; it is about half an inch long. The cells are opposite, pointed at the ends, and with an oblique orifice. The tentacles are fourteen in this species. In the summer large ovate cells are found, arising from the polypidom; these contain the eggs, and are called ovisacs or ovig´erous vesicles.