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servants。 His whole back is covered with a little grey forest of
branching hairs； fine as a spider's web； each branchlet carrying its little
pearly ringed club； each club its rose…coloured polype； like （to quote Mr。
Gosse's comparison） the unexpanded birds of the acacia。 （28）
On that leg grows； amid another copse of the grey polypes； a delicate
straw…coloured Sertularia； branch on branch of tiny double combs； each
tooth of the comb being a tube containing a living flower； on another leg
another Sertularia； coarser； but still beautiful； and round it again has
trained itself； parasitic on the parasite； plant upon plant of glass ivy；
bearing crystal bells； （29） each of which； too； protrudes its living flower；
on another leg is a fresh species； like a little heather…bush of whitest
ivory； （30） and every needle leaf a polype cell … let us stop before the
imagination grows dizzy with the contemplation of those myriads of
beautiful atomies。 And what is their use？ Each living flower； each
polype mouth is feeding fast； sweeping into itself； by the perpetual
currents caused by the delicate fringes upon its rays （so minute these last；
that their motion only betrays their presence）； each tiniest atom of
decaying matter in the surrounding water； to convert it； by some
wondrous alchemy； into fresh cells and buds； and either build up a fresh
branch in their thousand… tenanted tree； or form an egg…cell； from whence
when ripe may issue； not a fixed zoophyte； but a free swimming animal。
And in the meanwhile； among this animal forest grows a vegetable
one of delicatest sea…weeds； green and brown and crimson； whose office
is； by their everlasting breath； to reoxygenate the impure water； and
render it fit once more to be breathed by the higher animals who swim or
creep around。
Mystery of mysteries！ Let us jest no more； … Heaven forgive us if
we have jested too much on so simple a matter as that poor spider… crab；
taken out of the lobster…pots； and left to die at the bottom of the boat；
because his more aristocratic cousins of the blue and purple armour will
not enter the trap while he is within。
I am not aware whether the surmise； that these tiny zoophytes help to
purify the water by exhaling oxygen gas； has yet been verified。 The
infusorial animalcules do so； reversing the functions of animal life； and
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instead of evolving carbonic acid gas； as other animals do； evolve pure
oxygen。 So； at least； says Liebig； who states that he found a small
piece of matchwood； just extinguished； burst out again into a flame on
being immersed in the bubbles given out by these living atomies。
I myself should be inclined to doubt that this is the case with
zoophytes； having found water in which they were growing （unless； of
course； sea…weeds were present） to be peculiarly ready to become foul；
but it is difficult to say whether this is owing to their deoxygenating the
water while alive； like other animals； or to the fact that it is very rare to
get a specimen of zoophyte in which a large number of the polypes have
not been killed in the transit home； or at least so far knocked about； that
（in the Anthozoa； which are far the most abundant） the polype … or rather
living mouth； for it is little more … is thrown off to decay； pending the
growth of a fresh one in the same cell。
But all the sea…weeds； in common with other vegetables； perform
this function continually； and thus maintain the water in which they
grow in a state fit to support animal life。
This fact … first advanced by Priestley and Ingenhousz； and though
doubted by the great Ellis； satisfactorily ascertained by Professor
Daubeny； Mr。 Ward； Dr。 Johnston； and Mr。 Warrington … gives an answer
to the question； which I hope has ere now arisen in the minds of some of
my readers； …
How is it possible to see these wonders at home？ Beautiful and
instructive as they may be； can they be meant for any but dwellers by the
sea…side？ Nay more； even to them； must not the glories of the water…
world be always more momentary than those of the rainbow； a mere Fata
Morgana which breaks up and vanishes before the eyes？ If there were
but some method of making a miniature sea…world for a few days； much
more of keeping one with us when far inland。 …
This desideratum has at last been filled up； and science has shown；
as usual； that by simply obeying Nature； we may conquer her； even so
far as to have our miniature sea； of artificial salt…water； filled with living
plants and sea…weeds； maintaining each other in perfect health； and each
following； as far as is possible in a confined space； its natural habits。
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To Dr。 Johnston is due； as far as is known； the honour of the first
accomplishment of this as of a hundred other zoological triumphs。 As
early as 1842； he proved to himself the vegetable nature of the common
pink Coralline； which fringes every rock…pool； by keeping it for eight
weeks in unchanged salt…water； without any putrefaction ensuing。 The
ground； of course； on which the proof rested in this case was； that if the
coralline were； as had often been thought； a zoophyte； the water would
become corrupt； and poisonous to the life of the small animals in the
same jar； and that its remaining fresh argued that the coralline had re…
oxygenated it from time to time； and was therefore a vegetable。
In 1850； Mr。 Robert Warrington communicated to the Chemical
Society the results of a year's experiments； 〃On the Adjustment of the
Relations between the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms； by which the
Vital Functions of both are permanently maintained。〃 The law which
his experiments verified was the same as that on which Mr。 Ward； in
1842； founded his invaluable proposal for increasing the purity of the air
in large towns； by planting trees and cultivating flowers in rooms； THAT
THE ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE RESPIRATIONS MIGHT
COUNTERBALANCE EACH OTHER； the animal's blo