LATTICE WORKERS, OR POLYCYSTINA. 67 



There are yet other objects which, either in virtue 

 of their form, colour, or combination of both, at once 

 make their impress on all observers, and at once 

 force the feeling, if not the expression in words, O 

 how beautiful ! Both classes of objects occupy their 

 allotted places in creation, and both seem equally 

 fitted for that position ; yet, when viewed apart from 

 their associations, when appraised according to their 

 merits as isolated objects, how vast a difference in 

 the result of the poll. In one case the verdict is 

 almost unanimously, Aye, in the other it is almost as 

 unanimously, Nay. Amongst all the myriads of 

 minute objects for the microscope, contained in the 

 cabinets of the curious, there are none more generally 

 attractive, more popular, or when effectively illumi- 

 nated, more beautiful than those little skeletons or 

 deserted houses, which are known by the name of 

 Polycystins. 



Even now this strange name may not be familiar 

 to some who are scanning these pages, and the 

 objects which that name is supposed to represent 

 may be as strange and unknown too. Under such 

 an assumption it may be well to explain, that many 

 years ago a sort of chalky earth was found in various 

 localities [in Barbados, and some of it was sent to 

 Europe as containing many beautiful and interesting 

 objects for the microscope. The most numerous of 

 these objects contained in the Barbados earth were 



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