Evening star., 1932-08-07

mission can do as much for the sea
nettle. It's report, at least, should
| make interesting reading.
The MARYLAND commission has new
! laboratory at Solomons Island, where
| sea nettles are numerous and tull OF
! ANYTHING but the milk Of human kind
ness. Here the commission is prying
relentelessly into the past life. present
plans, if any. and future hopes OF
dactylometra quinquecirrha-a scypho-
goa. of the family coelenterata, or, in
other words. the sea nettle. Dactylo-
metra is the particular brand of sea
nettle which has been bringing the blush
tn the hides of Chesapeake Bay batherS
and those who splash and curse In its
tributaries.
The commission, rgia-like, is
studying poisons-poisons which will
make the mosquito of the sea Ill. even
unto death. 1t will seek means of
inducing the sea nettle to spend his
Summer vacation somewhere - any
where - except in Chesapeake Bay
waters. 1t will preach policies Of birth
control and race suicide into the ears
of Young and tender coelenterata which
know naught Of the world except to go
out and sting and sting and sting yet
again.
Not Numerous As in 81.
The sea nettle, according to Swepson
Earle. commissioner of the Maryland
Department of Conservation, is not so
! numerous as last year but what he lacks
in numbers he is making up in size and
ferocity. The nettles this year are un-
usually large, preponderantly purple.
virulent and vile. according to these
bathers who have had social contact
with them.
The nearly normal rainfall of this
year has had its effect in keping down
the hordes of dactylometra quin-and
all that sort of business. Severe Win
ters and rainy Summers are hard on sea
nettles, said Mr.. Earle. Mild Winters
and Summer droughts cause the sea
nettle to raise numerous progeny the
least of whom can sting from the cradle
to the grave and beyond.
The Maryland commission seeks all
the information it can muster about sea
nettles. It wants to know what sea
nettle eats, where it goes and what 1t
does during its hours eff duty. 1t wants
| to know what effect sea nettles have on
oysters and fish. Of the effect the sea
nettle has on bathers the commission
knows full well-by experience. by report
| and by hearsay. 1t does not want TO
know what sea nettles do to bathers-
especially when the bathers find 1t hard
to be polite in expressing themselves on
the subject.
The commission has found that sea
nettles do not like copper sulphate. 1t
kills them. The method of applying
copper sulphate is to load the crystals in
gunny sack and tow them behind
beat through the waters in which the
sea nettleS lurk The sulphate goes
into solution and the nettles go into
Mysteries and sudden decline.
Sulphate Unsatisfactory.
The copper sulphate business is all
right as far as 1t goes. The trouble IS
the commission has found, that 1t
doesn't go far enough in scme directions
and goes entirely too far in others. The
effect of the sulphate wears off in
half hour and then the nettles come
trooping in happily from virgin. un-
sulphated waters waving their tentacleS
| and seeking whom they may aggravate
and annoy.
On the other hand, the sulphate not
only terminates the careers of the net
| ties, but it also destroys plankton, the
minute life on which the oyster feeds.
Those who have stoutly maintained
through the years that sea nettles serve
no good purpose, that they are nothing
but blot on the face of nature, will
| be disappointed to learn that they are
wrong.
The sea nettle, the Maryland COM
| mission has found, does serve good
purpose He eats ctenophore, form
of marine life much more minute than
its name, and which preys on BABY
| oysters. When there are plenty OF
nettles, the commission has found:
there is likely to be bumper crop OF
| oysters
Sometimes Form Colonies.
At the same time, however. the sea
nettle is not at all averse to eating
a baby oyster or two himself. The
commission has found many a nettle
engaged in the process OF digestlng
| oyster sprats.
Of Jelly fish, has the power OF forming
colonies, in which the individuals are
united to each other by a common stem
or mass of tissue, greatly increasing Ine
singing power of the mass. In TINS
case the nettles may divide up tnelr
duties some doing the eating Tor the
whole colony, others attending 10 Ine
reproduction OF the young.
Reproduction differs with the species
Some Jelly fish lay eggs, other repro,
| duce by dividing their bodies, each par
setting forth as an independent indi-
yidual. Others send out buds" which
break off as infant jelly fish.
Sea nettles have no special organs
for respiration or excretlon ana nave
neither blood nor blood vessels CH.
culation in the true sense OF the WoLc
does not exist. Their food is distrlb-
uted through the tissues by the agency
Of cells and by diffusion.