WHEEL-BEARERS. 245 



the soft internal parts by decay, and by the efforts of 

 those little scavengers, the smaller species of infusorial 

 animalcules. These quickly find their way into the 

 interior of any dead animal with a shelly case, as a 

 Wheel-bearer, a Water-flea, or an Insect, and soon 

 devour every particle of soft flesh, cleaning out the case 

 in the most tidy manner. 



Here is a tiny subject which will test your powers of 

 observation, and possibly your patience, in satisfactorily 

 defining its structure, partly on account of its swift motion 

 and irregular leaps, and partly on account of its extreme 

 transparency. It is a crystalline cup, somewhat like the 

 body of a wine-glass, without any foot, but bearing many 

 flat, sword-shaped processes, which, proceeding from the 

 breast, commonly lie flat on each side, down the body, 

 the points projecting below. These are evidently stiff and 

 highly elastic, and their use is manifest to any one who 

 sees the creature in active motion. It swims with a rapid 

 gliding progress, head foremost ; but, at almost every mo- 

 ment, it makes a sudden forcible jerk or leap, backwards or 

 to one side, and that so quickly that the eye often cannot 

 follow it in the transition. The organs by which these 

 jumps are effected are the long breast-spines, which are 

 suddenly thrown out in various directions ; and they may 

 frequently be seen extended the instant after a leap. 

 When we consider that the creature is jerked often four or 

 five times its own length, through so dense a fluid, we 

 shall perceive how strong the muscular action must be 

 which moves the lever-like spines. The creature is 

 thrown irregularly, often with the side foremost, or the 

 back ; or made to perform a somersault in the act. It is 

 probably a sensitiveness to danger or annoyance that 

 prompts these violent leaps ; at least, it frequently per- 

 forms them after a momentary examination of any float- 

 ing matter with which its course brings it into contact. 



The rotatory organs, the source of the common gliding 



