turn to the dead hippocampid which I have before 

 me on my laboratory bench. 



Although the sea-horse, as far as its general 

 habits are concerned, is amenable to observation, 

 both in its natural habitat where it occurs and in 

 the indoor aquarium, there is one secret of its life 

 which is exceedingly obscure and which it is likely 

 never completely to reveal. This is the secret of its 

 age. Its longevity is unknown. The outstanding 

 difficulty in the way of determining this fact in the 

 case of any creature that lives at large in the sea, 

 where it cannot be followed, is obvious; but con- 

 finement of the hippocampid serves no better. For 

 of all sea folk, none is more difficult to make round 

 out its natural span in a restricted environment 

 than is the sea-horse. It does not thrive long in cap- 

 tivity; even in the most carefully controlled tanks, 

 it does not endure longer than a single season. 



Still, despite the difficulty presented by the liv- 

 ing animal, I am going to hazard a rough guess 

 regarding the hippocampid 's length of life, al- 

 though, perforce, I am obliged to make this at- 

 tempt on little else than the evidence furnished by 

 the structure of the dead creature at hand. 



Let it be understood, however, that my attempt 



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