THE WONDERS OF THE SHOEE. 17 



Mystery of mysteries ! Let us jest no more, — 

 Heaven forgive ns if we have jested too mncli on so 

 simple a matter as that poor spider-crab, taken out 

 of the lobster-pots, and left to die at the bottom of 

 the boat, because his more aristocratic cousins of the 

 blue and purple armour will not enter the trap while 

 he is within. 



I am not aware whether the surmise, that these 

 tiny zoophytes help to purify the water by exhaling 

 oxygen gas, has yet been verified. The infusorial 

 animalcules do so, reversing the functions of animal 

 life, and instead of evolving carbonic acid gas, as 

 other animals do, evolve pure oxygen. So, at least, 

 says Liebig, who states that he found a small piece 

 of matchwood, just extinguished, burst out again 

 into a flame on being immersed in the bubbles given 

 out by these living atomies. 



I myself should be inclined to doubt that this 

 is the case with zoophytes, having found water in 

 which they were growing (unless, of course, sea- 

 weeds were present) to be peculiarly ready to become 

 foul ; but it is difiicult to say whether this is owing 



