263 Natur.d History lavedlgatlom in Florida Waters. 



Armed with dip nets, my fat friend, the Doctor, and myself, stood 

 leaning over the rail, fishing up the floating weed, from this we pro" 

 cured crustaceans, shrimps and litiopa. The Tortugas Cruise and our 

 narrow escape from shipwreck there, were now forgotten in the en- 

 joyment of the present happiness. Arriving in Key West, the next 

 few days were devoted to preserving and shipping our large collection 

 of specimens. These required oyer thirty barrels and boxes. As my 

 friend Pablo, the cook, remarked, they were fully an "equivalent" for 

 our labors and dangers on the most perilous coast known. While Ave re- 

 mained in Key West, I made some additional collections and secured 

 several species not enuraei-ated in my former letter. I also came near 

 losing my coat, in so comical a manner as to be worth relating. Re" 

 turning one evening from a stroll up the beach, and being late I 

 retired to my room at the hotel, where having disposed of the spoils 

 stowed away in my numerous pockets, I lay down for a rest. The 

 coat mentioned, I had hung up, as usual, on the floor. Sometime 

 after, I was aroused by a tremendous clatter, clawing, etc., quite mys- 

 terious. Lookuig up I saw my coat going out the door, at first I 

 thought the house was haunted and the spirits were on a frolic, or else, 

 the devil himself was after me. But remembering what my mother 

 said about ghosts, and having seen several in a more material form, I 

 resolved to investigate. About this time, I thought Geladmus viinax ! 

 My pockets were filled with "soldier crabs," and not having removed 

 them, when all was quiet, they determined to vindicate their rights, 

 as royal Americans to liberty. It is needless to say that I was more 

 careful after this. But the objects we desired to save were so numer- 

 ous and interesting that room for all was hard to find. My ' party' were 

 knowai as ' Bug-hunters ; ' though we did not deserve the title, I suspect 

 however, that the natives confounded us Avith an old fellow who was 

 stopping here and making a specialty of moths. On some of our trips 

 in this and other cities, we were generally accompanied by from ten 

 to twenty black and tans of small size. So long as our "nickels" 

 held out we found it easy to command the services of a regiment if 

 necessary, and with a little showing, the young Nubians soon made 

 good collectors, diving into out of the way places with the same facil- 

 ity that a "terrier" goes for a rat hole. While watching them I 

 thought and wondered if old Diogenes himself would not admire our 

 way of teaching science. Diogenes who was a teacher of economy 

 was a pretender. He required the luxury of a tub to live in, he 

 should have gone West where it would not be necessary. But I must 

 resume the dry details of science I suppose, to preserve the reputation 

 it has for being thus. My rambles on the Island of Key West were 

 rewarded by the following additional species. 



