364 AUTHOR'S TANK DESCRIBED. 



veral soldier crabs, of course, act as sentinels of the 

 tank, and appear to be ever ' on duty/ marching 

 about in all parts of their subaqueous habitation ; 

 while beneath the marble fragments repose, each 

 with his ' weather eye' open, a small Maia squinado, 

 two long-armed crabs, and a small Carcinus mcenas. 

 On the sides of the vase rest a Limpet, a Trochus, 

 and two fine Periwinkles, with skin of glossy black- 

 ness. The shells of either ' Buckie' is covered with 

 myriads of quicksilver globules, that rest on the tips 

 of the young and rising vegetation like dew upon the 

 bladed grass. As I write, upon the inner surface of 

 the water, like a fly upon the ceiling of a room, an 

 Eolis and two pearly white Dorides lie idly float- 

 ing in close companionship. Beneath them, upon the 

 verge of the aperture of a large empty whelk shell, 

 sits a pretty, cream-coloured Plumose Anemone (A. 

 dianthus). On two blocks of stone repose several 

 specimens of that mysterious animal the Pholas, who, 

 by my unkindness, are thus made to become mem- 

 bers of the marine ' houseless poor/ Several young- 

 specimens of these bivalves are seated in a piece of 

 rock, and daily engaged in 'boring/ A stick of 

 wood, formerly the slender twig of a tree, is thickly 

 clustered with fairy-handed acorn barnacles and ser- 

 pulse, and being placed against the glass, the move- 

 ments of these singularly beautiful creatures can be 

 watched with ease. Then there are two Star-fishes, 

 a pack of three little Blennies, and a Five-bearded 



