That wonderful river that flows with a well-defined course through the
midst of the Atlantic,--the Gulf-stream,--brings on its warm waters
many of the denizens of the tropical seas, and wafts them to the shores
on which its waves impinge. Hence it is that so many of the proper
pelagic creatures are from time to time observed on the coasts of
Cornwall and Devon. The Portuguese man-of-war is among them, sometimes
paying its visits in fleets; more commonly in single stranded hulks.
Scarcely a season passes without one or more of these lovely strangers
occurring in the vicinity of Torquay; and from one of these I took the
opportunity of making the careful drawing with which I illustrate this
paper.[125] The fishermen and similar persons who pick them up, always
endeavour to make a harvest of their captures, not by the sale, but by
the exhibition of them, sometimes carrying the specimen from door to
door, sometimes erecting a temporary screen in some place of resort,
exaggerating the rarity and value of the specimen outrageously. This
summer (1862) I have known of three in this vicinity; and have heard of
one at the Isle of Wight, in July, which forms the subject of a memoir
and a coloured figure by Mr. Humphreys in the _Intellectual Observer_;
also, a fleet of hundreds scattered over both sides of the same island
in August, as recorded by Mr. Rogers in the _Zoologist_; and finally,
one at Tenby in July, obtained by Mr. Hughes, and recorded in the
last-named periodical.
Mr. Hughes in his account mentioned a circumstance as normal, which,
being unknown to me, excited my curiosity. His specimen was accompanied
by “its attendant satellites, two _Velellæ_.” In reply to my inquiries
my friend gives me the following information:--“My authority for the
association of Velella with Physalia is Jenkins, the collector at
Tenby, who was attending me when they were found.
“The Physalia was taken by me first; and, while I was admiring it, I
noticed that Jenkins continued searching for something. Immediately
afterwards he came up with the Velella in his hand, at the same time
stating they were generally found with the Portuguese man-of-war. As I
had found the man very honest and truthful in his dealings with me (and
not previously being familiar with either of the creatures), I accepted
the information as correct.”