THE ISLE OF BIRDS. 207 



to discover the most remarkable mimic. The 

 day previous, observing a very large Physalia or 

 Portuguese man-o'-war floating near shore, he had 

 gone out in the dinghy, at the doctor's request, 

 to measure its tentacles. He found them drag- 



Gecarcinus rusticola, a land-crab. 



ging ten feet, being lowered down into a school 

 of sardines, and as he was watching he saw the 

 method of fishing adopted by this dangerous 

 creature. Above the surface a beautiful bubble 

 with all the luster of satin and the tints and 

 hues of the rainbow a gem of the sea; but 

 from the lower portion depended a bunch of 

 intense purple tentacles which could be lowered 

 down to a greater or less distance. Harry dis- 



