ORDER CRUSTACEA. HOMOBRANCHI.E. 119 



sible, or scarcely perceptible, even when on or near to its 

 surface ; that it should possess its share of the organized 

 beings which we see spread over every other part of the 

 surface of our globe, is a conclusion we might arrive at 

 indirectly, from the consideration of oceanic fishes and 

 birds being observed in those parts of the ocean most 

 distant from the land, and the provident care of the 

 Deity, which we invariably witness throughout the do- 

 main of nature, to furnish food for all, even the meanest 

 of his creatures; the more minute and invisible inmates 

 of the sea, then, must constitute the food of oceanic fishes 

 and birds. 



" Few of these marine animals, except some of the 

 larger and most conspicuous, have as yet been observed, 

 so that the investigation of them holds out a promise 

 of a rich harvest to the naturalist, and a vast field of 

 exploration, replete with novelty and interest ; to accom- 

 plish this, however, he must use the greatest diligence, 

 seizing every opportunity, when the way of a ship does 

 not exceed three or four miles per hour, to throw out 

 astern a small towing-net of gauze, bunting, or other 

 tolerably close material, occasionally drawing it up, and 

 turning it inside out into a glass vessel of sea-water, to 

 ascertain what captures have been made. When a ship 

 goes at a greater rate, and in stormy weather, a net of 

 this kind may be appended to the spout of one of the 

 sea-water pumps, and examined three or four times a 

 day, or oftener, according to circumstances." 



Although naturalists were decided in calling the Zoea 

 a crustaceous animal, they were still far from agreeing 

 as to the place in the system it ought to occupy, for the 

 different species were so unlike each other : but it will 

 be no longer a matter of surprise, when it is known, that 



