A DREAM OF OLTON. 89 



A DREAM OF OLTON, 1879. : 



Fired with a zeal for microscopic work, 

 I sought fair Olton's reservoir, where lurk 

 Beneath its placid surface forms unknown 

 Not few : in hope to find I went, alone, 

 Nor unsuccessful, for the nymphs were kind. 

 Tired, on the turf at length I lay reclined — 

 Then softly stole upon my slumbering ears 

 The tiny music of the volvox-spheres. 



Methought I saw an ocean, pure and bright, 

 Wherein a host, in curious armour dight, 

 Of filmy creatures sped their devious way. 

 And each to other fell a ceaseless prey. 

 Beneath the surface, scarce a fathom deep, 

 Leptodora plies his oars with steady sweep ; 

 Or smoother still, as Leptodora glides, 

 And from his foes in mere transparence hides. 

 Ah me ! what wordy war was waged amain 

 O'er thee, Leptodora, but waged in vain. 

 Here Cyclops slowly winked his solemn eye, 

 There Daphnias swore to conquer or to die. 

 While Vorticellse, with a causeless fear, 

 Coiled and uncoiled themselves, and ever near 

 Fair Melicerta showed her modest charms, 

 Built her toy-house, or shrunk with coy alarms. 

 The Stentor blew a blast both long and loud, 

 Euglenae postured to amuse the crowd, 

 And Peridinia, phosphorescing, roam 

 To light benighted Rotatoria home. 

 These cluster here and there : in other parts 

 Ceratium rolls and Anursea starts, 

 And with his hat and rollicking round eye, 

 Field-Marshal Kahlbergensis swaggers by. 



A shadow fell upon the peaceful shore. 

 Four monsters, huge, unchained, with ample store 

 Of weapons dire, with horrid purpose fraught, 

 This sacred haunt of Nature's children sought. 

 Embarked upon a skiff, they ranged the pool ; 

 The fiercest held on high a murderous tool — 

 A long stout staff of oak, begirt with brass, 

 A spacious cavern of translucent glass. 

 This plunged, inverted, far beneath the wave, 

 Frightened the timid and engulphed the brave, 

 The few escaped their ravaged homes to wail, 

 The vision vanished, and thus ends my tale. Gauma. 



* We need scarcely remind our readers that Olton Reservoir was the place where 

 a party of the Birmingham Natural History Society first discovere i Leptodora 

 hvalina, and other species new to Britain.— See " Midland Naturalist," 1&79, pp. 217, 

 295. 241. 310. and 1880, p. 20. 



