hydroids and slowly sank to the bottom to die 

 . . . And soon after expired a numerous progeny; 

 it had been literally covered with young. 



This event brought forth cries of dismay from 

 the members of my family, who were gathered 

 closely around, watching with hushed wonder the 

 comical gravity of the slow-motion antics per- 

 formed by the queer little stranger from out of the 

 depths. To me it was also a tragedy. I had hoped 

 to rear the little spiders to maturity — an under- 

 taking fraught with rare interest; besides, it would 

 nil some gaps in a knowledge of which natural 

 science seems singularly barren. But insight into 

 the pycnogonid's ways has not altogether been de- 

 nied me; such as it is, I shall endeavor to share 

 with the reader. 



Pycnogonum littoralis. A big name for so tiny 

 a creature ! If the degree of popular interest in an 

 animal is governed by size, then it must be con- 

 ceded that the sea-spider has little to offer. Actu- 

 ally it is smaller in expanse than a ten-cent piece. 

 Yet how immeasurably large it looms in the un- 

 derstanding imagination! But this aspect will 

 occupy us later; first let us familiarize ourselves 

 with its physical attributes, among which are prob- 



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