354 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



quite disabled by his ruthless assailant, affording a 

 remarkable illustration of the absence of suffering 

 during the infliction of the well-deserved penalty. 



On the morning following this tragical exhibition 

 we were not at all surprised to find, that out of the 

 six captures of the preceding day, only the two largest, 

 which in strength and size were pretty nearly matched, 

 remained alive in the tank, at the two opposite ends 

 of which they sat, each scowling at the other with 

 such looks of undissembled malice, that it seemed an 

 act of pity to disturb their truculent meditations ; 

 and, truth to say, all pity for such demons in crusta- 

 cean guise appeared a maudlin piece of sentimentality 

 quite inappropriate and thrown away; we therefore 

 let them fight it out as best they could ; and certainly 

 no trumpet-sound was wanted to incite the doughty 

 combatants to a battle, as fierce as ever was chroni- 

 cled in the pages of romance : 



"As when two rams, stirr'd with ambitious pride, 

 Fight for the rule of the rich-fleeced flock, 

 Their horned fronts, so fierce on either side, 

 Do meet, that, with the terror of the shock 

 Astonied, both stand senseless as a block, 

 Forgetful of the hanging victory, 

 Both staring fierce." 



Their powers, however, seemed pretty equal, and it 

 was only upon a subsequent occasion that one of them 

 was found immolated and devoured by his inveterate 

 antagonist, whose appetite, like that of the Dragon of 

 Wantley*, was by no means particular. 



* " The Dragon of Wantley churches ate 

 (He used to come on a Sunday) 



