THE BEAUTIFUL FLOSCULE. iO 



very long, and glistening like delicate threads of 

 spun glass. 



Knowing that the Floscules live in transparent 

 gelatinous tubes, such an object was carefully looked 

 for, but in this instance, as is not uncommon, it 

 was perfectly free from extraneous matter, and pos- 

 sessed nearly the same refractive power as the 

 water, so that displaying it to advantage required 

 some little trouble in the way of careful focusing, 

 and many experiments as to the best angle at 

 which the mirror should be turned to direct the 

 light. When all was accomplished, it was seen 

 that the Floscule had her abode in a clear transpa- 

 rent cylinder, like a thin confectioner's jar, which 

 she did not touch except at the bottom, to which 

 her foot was attached. Lying beside her in the 

 bottle were three large eggs, and the slightest 

 shock given to the table, induced her to draw 

 back in evident alarm. Immediately afterwards she 

 slowly protruded a dense bunch of the fine long 

 hairs, which quivered in the light, and shone with 

 a delicate bluish green lustre, here and there varied 

 by opaline tints. 



The hairs were thrust out in a mass, somewhat 

 after the mode in which the old-fashioned telescope 

 hearth-brooms were made to put forth their bristles. 

 As soon as they were completely everted, together 

 with the upper portion of the Floscule, six lobes 



