MINIATURE FLOTILLAS. 71 



nity. Shall I speak, for example, of the vetelles, 

 which present the appearance of a small wherry 

 with its bottom upwards, on the back of which 

 rises a sort of crest, extremely thin, light, and 

 transparent, which is a large sail, serving the 

 animal to direct its movements, and to vary and 

 increase its velocity. Always keeping close to the 

 wand, this elegant azure boat advances in order, 

 tacks with rapidity, and changes its course accord- 

 ing to its pleasure or need, and rarely fails of at- 

 taining the prey it pursues. The elegance of the 

 form of this creature, the transparency of its sail, 

 the beautiful mantle of blue with which it is clad, 

 all concur to render it one of the most pleasing of 

 the species ; indeed, nothing can afford a more 

 charming picture than these animals, when, in 

 calm weather, they manoeuvre by thousands on 

 the surface of the sea, resembling so many gay 

 miniature flotillas. 



" In the Beroes, nature seems to have exhausted 

 herself to produce the utmost grace and brilliancy 

 in the perfection of the figure, the richness of the 

 hues, and the variety of the movements. Their 

 substance, more pellucid than the clearest crystal, 

 is generally of a beautiful rose, opal ; or azure 

 colour. Their form is more or less spheroidic ; 

 eight or ten longitudinal ribs are disposed around 

 it, each formed of a prodigious number of small 



