34 Life Beneath the Waves. 



But if a finger is laid on the glass, or the 

 breath of the beholder ruffle the water, 

 the tufts disappear in a moment. Ser- 

 pulae and Sabellae appear to possess hardy 

 natures, for I kept the specimens I have 

 drawn, for more than twelve months; and 

 at the end of that period they were evi- 

 dently quite healthy, for their plumes were 

 as brilliant as at first. I then left that 

 part of the country, and gave away my 

 marine pets, greatly to my disinclination 

 I must confess. 



Whilst dredging at sea one day, at a 

 distance of twelve or fourteen miles from 

 the shore, the first thing which attracted 

 attention, as the contents of the dredging- 

 net were emptied on the deck, was a piece 

 of rock about six inches in length, and 

 four in depth, completely covered with 

 Serpulae tubes of various dimensions ; and 



