142 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



stick, push the creature, endeavour to make it sink, 

 and you will find it more difficult than you would at 

 first imagine. When the experiment is successful, 

 the animal, not caring for such treatment, will in time 

 permit you. You will perceive that it does not drop 

 down at once, even when entirely covered by the 

 water, but first its head, then its body sinks. At 

 last, you will see the whole creature suspended by the 

 tip of its tail (?), after which it falls softly to the base 

 of the vessel. 



After this, in lifting up some of the water at that 

 part to which the Eolis was attached, you will find 

 it does not fall from your stick in drops, but clings 

 to it like fluid jelly a circumstance that naturally 

 suggests the idea, that by its adhesion to the gela- 

 tinous mass, the animal owes its power of floating on 

 the surface of the water. 



A friend who witnessed along with me the appear- 

 ance which I have just explained in a somewhat 

 feasible way, exclaimed, " That is wonderful, truly ! " 

 I thought so too. It is equally wonderful to think, 

 that although I have tried the same experiment again 

 and again, scores of times, it has always failed. 



I therefore conclude that the learned naturalist, 

 Mr Gosse, is in the right. I have, however, given 

 my own early notion, in order that it may serve as a 

 caution to the young student in coming to a hurried 

 conclusion upon any matters relative to the mysteries 

 of nature. 



The Doris is generally about one inch in length. 



