between a water^bear and a rotifer, both of 

 giant size. Each of these was several feet in 

 length and must have been immensely powers 

 foL The water^bear seized on the rotifer from 

 behind, and had commenced, sucking the life^ 

 fluid of his victim, when, with surprising 

 alacrity, the captive swung round his free end 

 and seized his adversary in a bunch of ten- 

 tacles. A furious combat ensued, in which the 

 water^bear, though much mauled, proved victor. 

 We judged, from the action of the rotifer, that 

 something of the nature of an anaesthetic had 

 been injected by his enemy. Definite proof of 

 this was shortly forthcoming in an unexpected 

 manner. One of us, who had been in the 

 habit of daily treating himself to a wash, 

 whether he required it or not, when we floated 

 out into daylight again, hastened to make up 

 for lost time, whilst dangling his legs over the 

 stern and, at the same time, conducting an 

 animated conversation on the relative merits of 

 deer^stalking in the Highlands and in more 

 populous centres. Somebody had just made an 

 unusually fitting sally when, above the ripple 

 of applause, there sounded a wild yell followed 

 by an apprehensive exclamation, ''He's got 

 my other toe T' Quick was the word and 

 sharp was the action that followed, else we 

 44 ^ 



