130 



Marvels of Pond- Life. 



he was. The figure was like that of a new-born puppy, 

 or " unlicked " bear cub ; each of the eight legs were 

 provided with four serviceable claws, there was no 

 tail, and the blunt head was susceptible of considerable 

 alteration of shape. He was grubbing about among 

 some bits of decayed vegetation^ and from the mass of 

 green matter in his stomachy it was evident that he was 



Water-Bear. 



not one of that painfully numerous class in England — 

 the starving poor. 



A power of one hundred and five linear, obtained 

 with a two-thirds object-glass, and the second eye-piece, 

 enabled all his motions and general structure to be ex- 

 hibited, and showed that he possessed a sort of gizzard, 

 whose details would require more magnification to bring 

 out. Accordingly the dipping-tube was carefully held 

 just over him, the finger removed, and luckily in went 

 the little gentleman with the ascending current. He 

 was cautiously transferred to a Compressorium,^ an 



* The best forms of this instrument are made by Messrs. R. & J. 

 Beck, the glass plates being held in their places by flat-headed screws, 

 and not by cement. This plan was devised by the author, and makes 

 it easy to renew the glasses when broken. 



