276 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



thes ciliaris) and coquettes (Lepidopus argyreus) and 

 a thousand silvery fishes, displaying the most glorious 

 colors, abound everywhere and mingle with each 

 other in the most wonderful manner, until a slight 

 breeze springs up, then the mirror is broken and the 

 enchanting scene disappears as if by magic. 



At night the astonishing scene opens once more, 

 but with the addition of strange phosphorescent illu- 

 minations and with still more dazzling colors. Mil- 

 lions of star-like medusae and microscopic shell -fish 

 dance up and dow T nin the faint darkness like fire-flies. 

 Further on the magnificent Sea Pen (VeretiUum 

 cynomorium) waves about in a magic light, fairer 

 than her brilliant red in daylight, and everywhere 

 sparks flit across the waters, fires blaze up and softer 

 lights are diffused. What in the light of the sun 

 looked brown and plain, now assumes all the tints of 

 the rainbow, and, as if to fill up the measure of all 

 that is grand and glorious in the dark deep, a gigantic 

 moon ti&\(0rthagoriscus mola) passes by like a huge 

 disk of molten silver, surrounded by thousands' of 

 sparkling stars. We will add but one feature. The 

 solitary traveller who has examined the wonderful 

 coasts of Ceylon, returned one evening richly laden 

 with treasures to his dwelling. " All at once in the 

 middle of the quiet night, lighted by the silver bright- 

 ness of the moon, a sweet music, like the wild har- 

 mony of JEolian harps, struck the ear. These mel- 

 ancholy sounds, sufficiently loud to drown the break- 

 ers, came from the shore close by and recalled the 

 songs of the Syrens. The music was caused by the 



