MAY, 1882. 177 



sistently to his purpose of superseding the previous 

 engage. No doubt she enjoyed the idea of being 

 contended for, and would despise, even if she did pity, 

 the beaten admirer, and welcome the conqueror, as a 

 product of " natural selection " should. 



Every one knows the little pools between the hillocks 

 of the lug worms on the sandy shores at low ebb. Walk- 

 ing across the sands just now, little flitting shadows may 

 be seen in these pools, that only their own movements 

 would enable the eye to perceive. Examine the pools 

 closely, and you will find that they are thronged with 

 small flat fish about the size of elongated threepenny bits ; 

 a proportion being still smaller, and so very gelatinous 

 as to be transparent. We fill a test-tube with about a 

 dozen of them and examine them closely, when most of 

 the specimens bear unmistakable signs of being young 

 plaice, the spots even in most cases being apparent. 

 Every ray of the delicate fins, every bone of the trans- 

 parent body, is clearly visible, and beautifully delicate 

 objects they appear against the light. Here is a youngster 

 you can only see when it moves, and its movement is 

 most irregular. Watch it closely, and you will observe 

 that, as it lies flat against the glass, you can only see one 

 eye, while it almost swims on its edge, and its mouth 

 has not the twisted look that the ordinary fish has. The 

 fact is that in the earliest stage the eyes of the flat fish 

 are normal like other fishes, and only become twisted 

 round to suit their existence on their sides as they 

 mature. Here they are, however, in plenty not half an 

 inch in length, and yet regular chips off the old block 

 twisted mouths, spots, goggle eyes, and all. Every 

 stomach, too, is filled to the full, the only gross, worldly, 

 untransparent portion of the tender little shavings. 



