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near the sea, is a large basin, from twelve to 

 fifteen feet deep, the water of which is very 

 brackish, and the bottom composed of rocks. 

 From these, at all times, proceed certain sub- 

 stances, which present, at first sight, beautiful 

 flowers, of a bright shining colour, and pretty 

 nearly resembling our marigolds, only that their 

 tint is more lively. These seeming flowers, on 

 the approach of a hand or instrument, retire, 

 like a snail out of sight. OH examining their 

 substance closely, there appear, in the middle 

 of the disk, four brown filaments, resembling 

 spider's legs, which move round a kind of petal 

 with a brisk and spontaneous motion. These 

 legs have pincers to seize their prey ; and upon 

 seizing it, the yellow petals immediately close, 

 so that it cannot escape. Under this exterior 

 of a flower is a brown stalk, of the size of a 

 raven's quill, and which seems to be the body of 

 some animal. It is probable that this strange 

 creature lives on the spawn of fish, and the 

 marine insects thrown by the sea into the 

 basin. 



.Jiudq .' bi? f; 



