378 NATURE'S TEACHINGS. 



its methods of propulsion and respiration. The water is taken 

 into the interior of the body through a peculiarly formed 

 aperture, and then ejected with such violence as to drive the 

 body forward on the same principle as that which causes a 

 rocket to ascend. 



The figure on the left hand of the illustration is a repre- 

 sentation of the abdomen of this larva rather magnified, and 

 opened so as to show the interior. On either side run the two 

 principal breathing-tubes, through the delicate membranes of 

 which the spiral thread can plainly be seen. 



These tubes are connected with a smaller set, and they with ' 

 a still smaller, so that at last they are of such tenuity that they 

 can scarcely be distinguished without the use of a glass. But, 

 however small they may be, they are always fitted with the 

 spiral thread. 



WE now come to the cases where the membrane is supported 

 by a series of rings, and not by a single spiral wire. 



In the right-hand division of the illustration are two speci- 

 mens of objects which shall be nameless, but which were drawn 

 per special favour at a milliner's shop. Although the day has 

 now happily gone by when the larger object was in general 

 wear, and seemed to be irrepressively increasing in dimensions, 

 certain modifications of it, under various names, have made 

 their appearance in almost every book of fashions and every 

 large milliner's shop. 



Here we have the external membrane made of linen, calicoy 

 merino, or similar material, distended by a number of elastic 

 rings set at tolerably even distances from each other. 



The two small objects represent the handy little paper 

 lanterns so common in China and Japan. They are composed 

 of an external coat of tough tissue paper, so thin that it allows 

 the light to pass through it with tolerable freedom, and of an 

 internal series of elastic rings, which not only support it and 

 preserve its cylindrical shape, but allow it to be folded up flat 

 when not wanted. 



I possess a singularly ingenious lantern of this kind, made in 

 Japan, and displaying the thoroughness of work which charac- 

 terizes that nation. It is five inches in diameter, and the 

 lantern itself is affixed at either end to a circular wooden cap, 



