no THE horroM of the sea. 



verdurelcss, but, strange to say, flowers of the most 

 brilliant colours spiiug from their extremities. The 

 petals have the po,ver of motion, and by this motion 

 they cause a miniature current to flow unceasingly 

 towards them. T^nhappy are the animalculae who 

 may be drawn into this perpetually renewed stream, 

 for it flows into the mouths of the zoantharia, or 

 animal-flower to which they serve for food ! 



See ! — there are two eyes sparkling in the .^andy 

 bottom. A living form, which escaped our observa- 

 tion before, detaches itself, as if a leaf rose, undu- 

 lating in the water, after having stirred up around it 

 a cloud of sand or other earthy particles. That 

 living form is a turbot or a sole. At the least hint 

 of danger it will retreat to the bottom, and, disposing 

 itself flat upon the sand or mud, become almost in- 

 visible. This ruse is the only mean;,^ of defence pos- 

 sessed by these creatures, and almost any other fish 

 is bold enough to make them its prey. It is worth 

 noting that one side of the body is white, the other 

 (on which the eyes are placed) is greenish-brown, 

 resembling the bottom of the sea. 



And that bundle of serpents in violent agitation 

 at the entrance of an ocean-cavern ! How they 

 twine and writhe as they seize upon the living prey 

 which an evil destiny draws into their neighbourhood ! 

 Suddenly they launch themselves precipitately out 



