72 iN^AUTILl'S A^"D AMMONITE. 



sailed upon the sea, was called Argonauts, or, as it might he 

 freelj^ translated, seamen of the ship Argo. Naidiciis, in Latin, 

 signifies anything relating to ships or navigation, and here you 

 have the whole origin of the name of this little Argonaut, 

 ahout Avhich we must sing you a song written by Mary Howittj 

 before we proceed further: — 



"Who was the first sailor; tell me -^^-ho can; 

 Old father Neptune? — no, you're wrong, 

 There was another cro Neptune began; 



Who was he? tell me. Tightly and strong, 

 Over the waters he went — he went, 

 Over the waters he went! 



Who was the first sailor? tell me who can; 



Old father Noah!— no, j^ou're wrong, 

 There was another ere Noah began. 



Who was he? tell me. Tightly and strong, 

 Over the waters he went — he went. 

 Over the waters he went. 



Who was the first sailor? tell me who can; 



Old father Jason?— no, you're wrong, 

 There was another ere Jason began, 



Do'nt be a blockhead, boy! Tightly and strong, 

 Over the waters he went— he went, 

 Over the waters he went. 



Hal 'tis nought but the poor little Nautihis — 



Sailing away in his pearly shell; 

 He has no need of a compass like ns, 

 Foul or fair weather he manages well! 

 Over the water he goes — he goes. 

 Over the water he goes." 



Many more poems of the like nature we might quote, for 

 this little shelled cephalopod has been a favourite with the 

 poets time out of mind, and in some instances they and the 

 less imaginative naturalists have disagreed in their accounts of 

 its form and operations, for instance, Pope says — 



"Learn of the little Nautilus to sail. 

 Spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale." 



''Catch a fiddle -stick," say some naturalists, the little Nau- 

 tilus does nothing of the sort; and if you go to him to learn 

 navigation, you will never be much of a sailor; he may teach 

 you how to sink to the bottom and rise again, and that kind 



