FOOD <>r mi: i.i:riim*ntBN. 199 



I l:a\e several times s,-eii the creature while swimming about in search "f a dinner, und 

 have been much -truck \\ith the exceeding grace of i 1 - in..v.-m.-ni-. which, indeed, very 

 strongly resemble those of the of 



At la.-t it- depredations were checked, for when tin basin was filmMtH, according to 

 custom. :i portion vva.s fenced off, so th:it tin- I/rpidosiivn could not get <>ui, and the gold-flub 

 could not get in. 



Not choosing to supply a succession of gold-fish, nut of each of \\hich tin- faMidiou- 

 ereuturr would only tak.- om> bite, the Mii-.TintiMi.lrnt In-thought himsrlf of frogs, and fr<l the 

 animal regularly with tlir.se batrachians. Hut having I it-en warned. l.\ thr .![ i- on the gold- 

 fish, not to trust his fingers within reach of thr trrth that could inflict -uch \.-ry effr. -live 

 bites, he got a long Mirk, .-I. -ft one end of it, put one liiinl-fo.it of thr frog into thr cleft, and 

 held it on thr surface of tlir water, so that thr struggles of thr intrude.! \ ic-tini should agitate 

 thr surface, and warn the Lepidosinn that its dinner was ready. No sooner did the frog 

 begin to splash, than the Lrpido-iivn rose rapidly beneath it, sei/.i-d it in its mouth, dragged 

 it off thr stick likr u pike striking at a roach, ami sunk to the Ixittom with ib* prey. Not a 

 vestige of the frog was ever seen afterwards; and Mr. Wilson naturally conjectures that 

 the poor victim was gradually chewed up, like the beef with which the creature was 

 formerly fed. 



I'IL I.M- this regimen the Lepidosiren grew apace, and in three yean had increased from ten 

 inches in length and a few ounr.- in wri^ht. to thirty inches long, and weighing six pounds 

 and a quarter. The rapidity of its growth may be accounted for by the fact, that it had fed 

 throughout the entire year, instead of lying dormant for want of water during half its 

 'e, and its size was apparently larger than it would be likely to attain in its 

 native state. 



Thinking that perhaps the creature might need its accustomed season of repose happily 

 called wstivation, in opposition to the term hibernation it was well supplied with day similar 

 to that from which its cocoon had been formed, but without any result, the animal evincing no 

 (I I-)., -ill. ni to :i\;iil itself of the Moral 10 ! ii-u li i f i; il \ c. >1|.-. !.-, I in it- U-L;,]f. ThU i-. I ill mix. 

 a very interesting example of the manner in which nature accommodates herself to circum- 

 stances, and is paralleled by many other instances in the several departments of Natural 

 History. Bees, for example, on finding themselves within easy distance of a sugar plantation, 

 have been known to decline honey making ; and the same result has occurred when they were 

 transported to fertile localities where the honey -l>earing flowers are in blossom throughout 

 the year. 



As an example of a similar phenomenon occurring in the vegetable kingdom, I may 

 instance some Australian flowers brought over by Mr. Howitt. and plain. -.1 in his garden. 

 These plants were at first sadly puzzled by the seasons, wanting to blossom just as our \\ int. r 

 had ->.-t in. l>ut in the course of a few years they grew gradually later in blossoming, until they 

 had found the proper season, and then were content to put forth their leaves and flowers at the 

 same time as the indigenous plants. 



The cause of this specimen's n-iri''tt.-d death was rather curious. In the winter time, 

 when the basins were cleaned, the animal \sas removed from one IKLSUI to another, while the 

 former was being emptied. Unfortunately, the fires which warmed the water were suffered to 

 expire during the night, and in the morning the poor Lepidosiren was found chilled 

 to death. 



The history of this creature is not only interest ing, but is valuable as it shows the 

 comparative advantages of watching the habits of animals in large and small habitations. 

 Had, for example, the creature lived from the first in the large ki-m. its remarkable mode of 

 eating its food could not have been observed, as it always seeks the bottom of its prison 

 for that purpose ; while, had it been always kept in the glass tank, its graceful movements and 

 fish-eating projiensities would never have Ix-rn discovered. 



The bones of the Lepidosiren are, when first taken from the body, of a bright green color, 

 and so gelatinous in structure, that if left in the water they would probably dissolve. After 

 a time, however, the green color fades, though traces of it can still be discerned. The bones 



