330 Notices of Sketches of Naval Life. 
and rising from the latter, the flower, I have spoken of. This 
is formed by a vast number of very delicate fibres, each with an 
exceedingly fine and variegated fringe, placed like that of a 
feather: they do not form a single cup, but several; and their 
the animal’s mouth. ‘They have a strong sensitive power, and, 
as soon as touched, are dragged by the animal into the stalk. 
aye a few minutes, it ascends again, and the flower spreads out 
before: doubtless they are intended for taking ge A touch 
will spoil them, so Leahey are they formed: I cut off the flow- 
er, and pass a paper under it, in water: then, = iaylag it ona 
board, and pouring owacie on, spread it out as I wish it: when 
dried, it looks like a yery fine painting. They are of the coral- 
line species, and are called water pinks by the natives. I can. 
take you too, to parts of the harbor, where the bottom is cover- 
ed with tufts of grass; some green; some dark colored; some i 
plain tufts, and others with a star in the middle: this grass tad; 
is all animal, and if you touch it, will disappear in the ground. 
There is a large quantity of it, just North of hospital island. I 
find abundant ‘amusement in the harbor : — is an old fisher- 
at atch at his operations. 
rinkles oil on the water, to smooth its Paaiect and can the 
distinguish objects at agreat depth. He isnow mostly Biployen 
in procuring date fish. This is a curious shell fish, so called from 
its shape, which has a strong resemblance to.a date. It is pro- 
cured only here, at Malta, at Trieste, and at another place, 
pete name I have forgotten. It is always found in the rocks, 
generally approaching within an inch of their surice, with which 
it deihidiinteati by a small orifice. This hole is formed, proba- 
bly, by some corrosive fluid thrown out by the ‘isin as it is 
smooth and shaped exactly to the shell, which is attached to the 
rock, at one end, by some very small fibres : the shell is bivalve, 
thin and delicate, usually three inches and a half in length, and 
one inch in its greatest diameter. hey procure them, by chi 
snag off fragments of the rock, with a long iron chisel; these 
re drawn up, and when the boat is filled, are carried ashore to 
oe broken up. They export them in the rock, to the neighbor- 
ing Spanish coasts. The rock is a soft free-stone, prevailing 
also, all over the island) The need = a peculiar taste, and is 
considered a great delicacy: it is most abundant at the depth of 
two or three fathoms. There is ater shell fish; the largest, 
two feet in length, and about four inches thick at ‘the thickest 
oa te a a rere often manufactured, by the n atives, 
