66 THE FEATHER- STAR. 



see the little shrimps and other Crustacea busily 

 swimming from weed to weed, or pursuing their in- 

 stinctive occupations among the fronds and branches, 

 — an ample forest to them. Tiny fishes of the Blenny 

 genus are also hiding under the shadow of the tufts, 

 and occasionally darting out with quivering tail ; 

 and one or two Brittlestars are deliberately crawling 

 about, by means of their five long and flexible arms, in 

 a manner that seems a ludicrous caricature of a man 

 climbing up by his hands and feet, — only you must 

 suppose an additional arm growing from the top of his 

 head. The variety of their colours, and the singular but 

 always elegant patterns in which they are arranged, 

 render these little star-fishes attractive. 



Such a calm clear little w^ell as this, among the 

 rugged rocks, stored with animal and vegetable life, 

 is an object well calculated to attract a poet's fancy. 

 The following description must have been drawn from 

 just such a rock-pool, and most true to nature it is. 



In hollows of the tide-worn reef, 

 Left at low water glistenmg in the sun, 

 Pellucid pools, and rocks in miniature. 

 With their small fry of fishes, crusted shells. 

 Rich mosses, tree-like sea-weed, sparkling pehbles. 

 Enchant the eye, and tempt the eager hand, 

 To violate the fairy paradise, 



Montgomery. 



THE FEATHER-STAR. 



At Petit Tor in March I found, adhering to the 

 under side of a rough stone, a fine specimen of the 

 Rosy Feather-star. It was of the size of Prof. Forbes' 



