136 On a nondescript Aquatic Animal. 



So insatiably voracious is this little water dragon (if I may 

 use an appropriate epithet for want of a name), that in the 

 space of a few hours (and that in the night), out of about 

 eighteen, it had killed, and withal much maimed, no less 

 than eight or ten tadpoles, most of which were bigger than 

 itself; aud could it have made tbe same rapid progress in 

 the water which tadpoles do, I have no doubt they would 

 all have fallen a sacrifice to ihis little sanguinary tyrant, 

 who (with short intervals of rest after a full meal) is incest 

 santly roving in search of blood ! 



At first sight it appeared to be of the binocular class ; but 

 taking a good magnifier, I observed the eyes to be com- 

 posed of two annular clusters, not reticulated, but each 

 containing six distinct, roundish, bright, black orbs, at 

 small distances from each other; the uitermediate spaces, 

 as well as more considerable ones, in the cenfe of each 

 cluster, being of a piece with the colour and texture of the 

 skin of the other parts of the body, which, with some little 

 variegated exceptions on the back of the head, is of a co- 

 lour resembling the mud of the Thames water, of the tex- 

 ture of that of a common shrimp, and like it (when alive) 

 of a semi-transparent nature. Indeed the divisions of the 

 whole body are more like this than any other creature I 

 have yet seen. But its conformation in all other respects 

 is quite as dissimilar as I have stated. 



Whtn it seizes its prey, if exceedingly vulnerable like 

 the tadpole, it lacerates it so deep as to make the forceps 

 meet and even cross in the punctures, when it anmses and 

 gratifies itself by working them in and out until the blood 

 flows from the wounds, at which time they are alternately 

 withdrawn and applied to the mouth, as if to taste the gore 

 with the one, while the captive is detained by the other; 

 which if it approves, the poor struggling victim is drawn 

 there too ; but if otherwise, it contents itself by repeated 

 lacerations until its imaginary enemy is dead, as was the 

 case with a common earth-worm 1 threw into the water, 

 and Several flies, which Vvcre never drawn towards the 

 mouth at all ; while the tadpoles are exhausted of their 

 blood until they become a mere skin with a small propor- 

 tion of gelatinous matter left in it ; for their adversary seems 

 not to have convenient organs for entire deglutition, or he 

 would no dot^bt quickly destroy the whole subject: but 

 owing to the narrowness of the neck, and its crustaceous 

 texture, the oesophagus is incapable of expansion to any 

 considerable degree; yet this incapacity on his part is no 

 6 security 



