THE MINUTE. 



more rapidly. Presently, the oval form of the egg 

 undergoes a slight alteration; it becomes more 

 elliptical, and then slightly constricted in the mid- 

 dle, apparently by the pushing outwards and 

 inflating of the two extremities of the body. At 

 this moment a white line flies round the anterior 

 end of the egg: it is a crack, and the next instant 

 the separated portion of the egg-shell is pushed 

 off, and the head protrudes, the cilia waving 

 nimbly in the water. A moment the new-born 

 young sits in the shell as in a nest; but now it 

 glides forth, and we see that in every point of 

 form and structure it is the very counterpart of 

 its parent, the shell, the foot, all the internal 

 viscera, being perfect and comme il fnut. 



The shells in which these little creatures are en- 

 veloped are models of symmetry and elegance, and 

 display great variety of form. Some of them are 

 sculptured in curious and beautiful patterns, an 

 elaboration which is truly surprising when we 

 think of the invisible minuteness of the entire 

 creature. One is clothed* with a shell of the usual 

 glassy mail, nearly circular in outline, very flat, 

 but a little arched on the back aspect, the chin 

 hollowed out in a semicircle, and the brow armed 

 with two horns curving downward ; the posterior 

 extremity square, with two lateral spines. The 

 entire surface of this shell is covered with minute 

 elevated points, which extend even to the horns 

 and spines ; and besides these, the dorsal surface is 

 marked with elevated ridges, which form a regular 

 raised pattern, impossible to describe by words, 

 but of curious symmetry, forming three perfect 

 pentagonal areas, and parts of eight others sur- 

 rounding them. 



This kind of sculpturing is most remarkable in 

 * Noteus quatlricornis. 

 163 



