324 DECEMBER. 



Thus the praise of the all- glorious God lies latent in 

 all his creatures, whether man educe it or not. Too 

 often, when we observe the wondrous variety, the in- 

 comparable delicacy, elegance, beauty, the transcendent 

 fitness and perfection of every organ and structure, we 

 are more occupied with our own pleasure or our own 

 glory than with the praise of God : our own pleasure 

 in acquiring new knowledge, or in admiring unexpected 

 beauties ; our own glory in opening up new stores of 

 science ; these are our motives to study, and we with- 

 hold from, or feebly and grudgingly give to, the Blessed 

 Creator and Fashioner, the honour, of which every 

 atom, every combination, every exquisite contrivance, 

 is eloquently discoursing to us the while. Forgive, 

 Thou, who hast created all things, and for whose pleasure 

 they are, and were created, that we so often touch with 

 irreverent hand Thy glorious works ; that we so often 

 walk with silent tongues on this holy ground ! 



I cannot conclude this volume without recording my 



chondria incrustans. Below this is the contorted Leuconia nivea. Then 

 follows, below, and a little to the left, Hymeniacidon cantncula. Below 

 this are two specimens of Leuconia Gossei, and on the left, yellow, with a 

 slender serpent-like projection, Hymeniacidon albescens. Behind this is 

 the grey globular Pachymatisma Johnatoni, and below, to the left, the pale 

 red Microciona carnosa. 



