J 32 MAY. 



sweltering weed, and intersected by little sparkling 

 pools and basins, in which the tiny fishes and entangled 

 prawns shoot hither and thither at our approach. It is 

 the low-lying ridge in the midst of the broad sandy 

 bight that I have already spoken of. Well, riimporte ; 

 there is plenty of game to be obtained here, and all is 

 fish that comes to our net. What have we here, creep- 

 ing over the broad brown leathery leaf of this Lamin- 

 aria ? Is it a little scrap torn from an old newspaper ? 

 It looks like it at the first glance, only that it moves 

 steadily onward with a smooth gliding motion, which 

 shows that it possesses a life of its own. Examine it 

 closely : it is exactly like a bit of white paper, about as 

 large as a rose leaf, and cut into that shape, only with 

 an even edge, its clear white surface marked all over 

 with black parallel lines, some thinner, some thicker, 

 running lengthwise, and as clear as if drawn with a pen. 

 What answers to the base of the leaf is the head of the 

 creature, the pointed end being the tail, where the two 

 most strongly marked black lines meet ; from the head 

 end arise two curious ear- like leaflets, which are studded 

 with crowded black dots, and are thrown back upon 

 the general surface. With a lens we may discern on 

 the surface of the body, just between these ear-like 

 tentacles, a group of black specks. These are ascer- 

 tained to be veritable eyes, notwithstanding their imrn- 



