NAVICULA. 



71 



the individuals being more or less in the form of 

 a little boat, and their quiet gliding motion 

 increases the resemblance. The bright colours, 

 or delicate transparent appearance of the lorica, 

 make these little objects also very attractive ; 

 and I have watched a number of them moving 



o 



in different directions with great pleasure, for 

 their pace is so slow and gentle that all their 

 habits may be noted. They appear to me to 

 have decidedly a will of their own, and to avoid 

 dangers or obstacles in their path, just as many 

 of those animalcules do which are decidedly con- 

 sidered as belononna to the animal kino;dom : and 



O O O ' 



yet, as Dr. Meyen says they are by no means so 

 free and active as the spores of the Algae, we are 

 again puzzled. When watched with attention, 



