130 SEA ACORNS. 



up by the waves amongst the line of refuse which marks the 

 highest advance of the tide. 



One of the most insignificant occupants of the Aquarium, but 

 by no means one of the loast interesting, is the little Balanus* 

 the inmate of the small conical shells known as sea-acorns, which 

 oil many parts of our coast thickly stud the rocks and the 

 timbers of our piers and jetties. This little creature can boast of 

 no great beauty, and has nothing to commend it to our attention 

 but its curious movements and its still more curious history. 

 Its thickly clustering shells look like a mere warty excrescence 

 on the objects to which they are attached, and to most sea-side 

 visitors are, no doubt, far better known for their keen and cutting 

 edges than for any more interesting qualities. 



I3ut let any of these incurious personages, the next time they 

 are down upon the sands or the pebbly beach at low water, take 

 the trouble to pick up one of the many stones, or limpet, or 

 mussel-shells they will find encrusted with sea-acorns, and 

 place it in a vessel of sea-water, and then watch the result. In 

 a minute or two the little shells will be seen to open at the top* 

 and immediately thereafter they are wrapped in a sort of misty 

 obscurity, which will very probably tempt the observer to rub 

 his eyes, under the impression that some temporary dimness has 

 impaired his sight. But let him look steadily, and the secret 

 will be explained. The truth is, the Balani, now in active play, 

 are every moment whisking out from their open shells a bunch 

 of beautiful feathery organs, in form not unlike a tiny half-opened 

 hand, and again withdrawing them out of sight ; and it is this 

 perpetual and rapidly executed movement which, to the un- 

 practised eye, gives the blurred and confused appearance of 

 which we have spoken. It is easy to watch these curious move- 

 ments in the Aquarium, and such are the grace and regularity 

 with which, they are executed, that one turns to the spectacle 

 again and again with ever new delight. 



And what, pray, may be the object of this singular procedure ? 

 There is a double purpose to be served, good reader. In the 

 first place, this is the mode the Balanus adopts of getting his 

 "breather" respiration being quite as important to him as to 

 his betters ; and next, it is thus that the little fellow gets his 

 food. That feathery apparatus, indeed, is properly the easting- 

 net of the Balanus, and, at every throw, the tiny fisherman 



