THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



out upon their state of health. So long as the "fairy 

 hand" referred to continues to fan the water, all is 

 safe ; but whenever that movement ceases for any 

 length of time, take your syringe and pour a stream 

 of water over the whole colony of Barnacles. Should 

 the commotion so excited fail in bringing them boldly 

 to their doors, or if they venture only in a timid 

 manner, lose no time in removing the piece of stone, 

 or whatever else they may be fixed to. Unless this 

 care be taken the tank will soon be tainted, and its 

 more delicate inmates perish, from their incapacity 

 of inhaling the noxious gas, caused by the decaying 

 Barnacles. 



The little Barnacles, of which we have been hitherto 

 speaking, possess rather famous relations the Ship- 

 Barnacles (Pentalasmis anatifera), of whom many 

 strange stories have been told, stories so strange that 

 it may not be considered quite out of place here to 

 refer to them. These will, at all events, possess some 

 interest for younger readers. 



The members of this family, instead of growing 

 flat, like the Acorn-shells, upon rocks, &c., live upon 

 stalks, as the case may be, pieces of driftwood, or 

 the keels of ships. In the latter case, it has been 

 noticed that their growth is so rapid, that in the 

 course of a few months the planks of a -vessel will be 

 so closely studded with them as to impede its pro- 

 gress. "When ships thus covered arrive in our ports, 

 the Barnacles are eagerly scraped off by men, who 

 take them for sale as marine curiosities, or who make 



