280 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



AMPHITR1TE VENTILABRUM THE FAN AMPHITRITE. 



" TJnlieard by tliem the roaring of the wind, 

 The elastic motion of the waves unfelt ; 

 Still, life is theirs, well-suited to themselves, 

 Nor yet uniiseful." 



FROM the depth of 60 or 70 feet beneath the surface 

 of the sea, a black leather-like tube is sometimes 

 dredged up, affixed by the lower extremity to some 

 solid foundation. Its position is erect, gradually en- 

 larging upwards from a very narrow commencement. 

 It frequently resembles a reed or vegetable stem 

 of stunted growth, furrowed by age, with portions of 

 the bark injured below by decay, but fresher and 

 smoother above, where visibly more recent and entire. 

 On the whole, when clear and perfect, this submarine 

 product bears the narrowest resemblance to a tube 

 of caoutchouc manufactured by human art. 



On plunging this artificial-looking tube into a 

 vessel of fresh sea-water, a few air-bubbles first escape 

 from its orifice, and then the tip of a variegated pencil 

 is seen gradually protruding, which suddenly unfolds 

 as a splendid plume composed of many feathers (PL V. 

 fig. 7). Let the slightest shock be communicated, 

 and the whole instantly collapses and disappears 



