OR, THE HOME-CULTUKE OF FRESH- WATER PLANTS. 



contrived ; and one which I afterwards constructed 

 of muslin was far too conspicuous in the water to 

 afford me many chances of capturing the ohjects of 

 my pursuit. Even when I was successful, and had 

 the good fortune to see one or more of these curious 

 inhabitants of the world of waters safely deposited in 

 some earthen pan or bottle, I was seldom able to 

 keep them many days. The young larva, disturbed 

 by the continual changing of the water, to keep it 

 fresh, died; or, when I attempted to clean it un- 

 disturbed, the water itself became putrid, and had 

 to be cast away, along with the miniature monsters I 

 had hoped to make my pets, and preserve for a 

 long time, observing and studying their evidently 

 curious habits and instincts. I had one triumph, 

 however. A strange scorpion-like creature, after 

 exercising its voracioiis appetite upon every other 

 living thing in the vessel in which I had placed it, 

 seemed suddenly to lose all taste for the luxuries 

 of the palate, notwithstanding a copious supply of 

 the living delicacies it was most fond of, and with 

 which I had taken care to furnish it at regular 

 intervals. It became restless, and apparently dis- 

 eased, and I concluded that I was about to lose 

 this favourite specimen as I had lost so many others. 

 Its uneasiness, however, took quite a different turn 



