THE NYMPHON GRACILE. 215 



If the reader will turn to Plate Y., fig. 3, he will see 

 a Nymphon gracile of natural size ; and having mar- 

 velled at its aspect, wiU marvel still more at fig. 4, 

 which is a magnified representation of the same animal 

 in the egg; and he may puzzle himself by trying to 

 conceive the stages of metamorphosis through which 

 this creature must pass before it can exchange the 

 squab rotundity of its early shape for the slim and 

 meagre elegance of maturity. Are Sylphs bulbous in 

 early life ? By what modifications could a crab be sup- 

 posed to pass into a daddy-long-legs ? Yet some such 

 changes must take place with the Nymplion gracile, 

 although I have not been fortunate enough to trace 

 them beyond the point represented in fig. 4. But this 

 is a digression ; we must continue our huntino;. 



Here, in a pool, we find three curious fish, one a 

 ribbon-fish, the other two unknown to me ; and on 

 raising the stone, behold, a queer eel-like fish, with 

 a miniature grey-hound's head ; it is the pipe - fish, 

 Syngnathiis anguineus (Plate VI., fig. 1). Pop him 

 in ; also this bit of red weed, on which I observe 

 some Polyzoa clustering. — (Plate I, fig. 1, represents 

 a fresh- water Polyzoon, named Plumatella, exj)anded 

 and contracted.) What is this ? a tiny Daisy on a 

 frond of weed ? the beauty ! No, now it is in the 

 bottle, it turns out to be an Eolis, EoUs alba, lovely 

 among the loveliest. Stay ! here are two cowries^ and 

 aHve ! The shells every one has seen, but few of us 

 have seen the animals ; so the capture is very welcome. 

 My back is aching with all this stooping and groping 



