THE NYMPHON GRACILE. 203 



there is none. The blood, if blood it can be called, is outside 

 the intestine, bathing the walls of the body, and moved to 

 and fro by the peristaltic action of the intestine. Curious as 

 this Nymphon gracile is, I had reason to be the more pleased 

 at finding one, because while the latest authorities declare no- 

 thing to be known of the development of the Pycnogonidce, 

 I had been fortunate enough, at Ilfracombe, to discover some 

 of the embryonic phases, of which I made drawings, and 

 awaited further opportunity for pursuing the subject. 



If the reader will turn to Plate V., fig. 3, he will see a Nym- 

 Ijhon gracile of natural size ; and having marvelled at its 

 aspect, will marvel still more at fig. 4, which is a magnified 

 representation of the same animal in the egg ; and he may 

 puzzle himself by trying to conceive the stages of metamor- 

 phosis through which this creature must pass before it can 

 exchange the squab rotundity of its early shape for the slim 

 and meagre elegance of maturity. Are Sylphs bulbous in 

 early life ? By what modifications could a crab be supposed 

 to pass into a daddy-long-legs ? Yet some such changes must 

 take place with the Nymphon gracile, although I have 

 not been fortunate enough to trace them beyond the point 

 represented in fig. 4. But this is a digression ; we must con- 

 tinue our hunting. 



Here, in a pool, we find three curious fish, one a ribbon- 

 fish, the other two unknown to me ; and on raising the stone, 

 behold, a queer eel-like fish, with a miniature grey-hound's 

 head ; it is the pipe-fish, Syngnathus anguineus. (Plate VI., 

 fig. 1.) Pop him in ; also this bit of red weed, on which I 

 observe some Polyzoa clustering. (Plate I., fig. 1, represents 



