THE ROMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



the mud. It very shortly returned, and entered 

 the bank, occasionally putting its long, sharp nose 

 out of the water, and paddling close to the edge. 

 This it repeated at very frequent intervals, from 

 place to place, seldom going more than two yards 

 from the side, and always returning in about half 

 a minute. I presume it sought and obtained some 

 insect or food among the rubbish and leaves, and 

 retired to consume it. Sometimes, it would run a 

 little on the surface, and sometimes, timidly and 

 hastily, come ashore, but with the greatest cau- 

 tion, and instantly plunge in again. 



"During the whole sweet spring of that fine 

 year I constantly visited my new acquaintance. 

 When under water he looks gray, on account of 

 the pearly cluster of minute air-bubbles that ad- 

 here to his fur, and bespangle him all over. His 

 colour, however, is very dark brown." .... 



After entering into some descriptive details of 

 the specimen, Mr. Dovaston proceeds: — "This 

 minute description I am enabled to give, having 

 caught it in an angler's landing-net, and carefully 

 inspected it in a white basin of water. The poor 

 creature was extremely uneasy under inspection, 

 and we soon, with great pleasure, restored it to 

 liberty and love, for he had a companion, which, 

 from her paler colour and more slender form, we 

 doubted not was his mate, and we were fearful, 

 by our intrusion, of giving offence to either. 



"He swims very rapidly; and though he appears 

 to dart, his very nimble wriggle is clearly dis- 

 cernible. He is never seen till sunset; but I saw 

 him every evening I watched, with the most per- 

 fect facility. They are easily discovered about 

 the going down of the sun, on still evenings, by 

 the undulating semicircles quickly receding from the 

 bank of the pool, when they are dabbling at the 

 200 



