AND AMERICAN HURAL SPORTS. 



251 



the boats are about to be launched in the spring, and in a 

 few days can be made fit for efficient duty — while a horse 

 will require at least half feed if he does nothing, or must be 

 fed high for some time before he can resume the labour that 

 will be demanded of him. The same advantages may be 

 derived by his employment on railways. 



I cannot resist an impulse to exhibit the Mule in one 

 other point of view. For the movement of machinery, the 

 employment of this animal, when judiciously selected, has 

 met with a most decided preference, in comparison with the 

 horse, independent of the economy in using him. And if 

 we consider the rapid, and probabl}' progressive increase of 

 labour-saving machines, in every department where they 

 can be made subservient to the requirements of society, it 

 is evident that there will be a corresponding demand for 

 animal power, as well as for that more potent, derived from 

 the elements; and although the latter may vastly predomi- 

 nate, yet should the horse be employed, and his increase for 

 other purposes continue, as it now does in the ratio of popu- 

 lation, the number, at no very distant period, may become 

 as alarming in our own, as it is at present in our mother 

 country. And notwithstanding we may feel secure, from 

 the extent of our territory and extreme diversity of soil and 

 climate, but, above all, from being in possession of Indian 

 corn — the GOLDEN fleece found by our "pilgrim fathers," 

 when they first landed on these shores; }'et such peculiar 

 advantages may not insure us against the visitations of one 

 of the most distressing calamities that a feeling community 

 can possibly be subjected to. 



Mason's Farrier. 



NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 

 By Jacob Green, M. D. 



Remarks upon som.e of the marine animals which inhabit 

 the North Jitlantic Ocean. 



On the 12th of May, when about one hundred miles to 

 the westward of Mizen Head, on the coast of Ireland, in 

 my passage across the Atlantic, we encountered one of those 

 long and monotonous calms, which so frequently occur in 

 these lattiludes at this season of the year. For two or three 

 days scarcely a breath of wind agitated the air, or a wave 

 ruffled the smooth surface of the ocean. At my request, 

 Capt. Dixey, the obliging master of our packet ship, fur- 

 nished me with a small boat, in which I made a little excur- 

 sion on the water, for a mile or two round the vessel, in 

 search of marine animals. Among the number captured 



were multitudes of the Cleodorm, probably the species 

 called Cleodora lanceolata of Peron and Le Sueur. * The 

 body of this little moluscous animal is partly covered by a 

 thin transparent shell, like an inverted pyramid, or a hollow 

 spear head; I observed them in large groupes or shoals, 

 not onlj' close to the surface of the water, but also some 

 fathoms below it. They appeared of a greenish hue through- 

 out, the colour of the animal being distinctly visible through 

 its transparent shell. They seemed to float horizontally in 

 the water, that is, the axes of the conical shell was nearly 

 parallel to the surface. When under the water, their powers 

 of locomotion are exceedingly limited, if they possess them 

 at all. On reaching the hand into the water to capture 

 them, they exhibited no motion, and on drawing into the 

 boat a line, which I had thrown out, many of them were 

 found adhering to it. There seems to be a curious organi- 

 zation of these animals which has escaped the notice of 

 Peron and Le Sueur, who have given us the best account 

 of them. At the apex of the conical shell there is a small 

 globular enlargement, which appears to be filled by minute 

 muscular filaments from the end of the body. By this con- 

 trivance the animal is not only attached to the shell, but a 

 small degree of motion between its testaceous and muscular 

 parts may be produced. 



Three or four days before the little excursion I have just 

 noticed, I amused myself in taking, with a small net, the 

 velellae, which floated in vast numbers past the ship. The 

 velella is a small, flat, cartilaginous animal, about the size 

 and thickness of a dollar, having a little sail or crest passing 

 transversely over the top or upper surface; this little sail is 

 fringed with blue, and the whole portion of the animal out 

 of the water shines with all the colours of the rainbow. 

 Sometimes the sudden rippling of the Waves, or a puff of 

 the wind, would overturn Ihem; but they soon regained 

 their upright position. On placing these animals in a tum- 

 bler of sea-water, they exhibited one of the most beautiful 

 objects I have seen. The fringe of the little sail which 

 crosses its back, and the curved and radiating lines on the 

 body of the animal, all presented a fine play of pavonine 

 colours. Attached to the lower surface of the velella I no- 

 ticed, in almost every instance, the little blue shell, called 

 ianthina, and which I first believed to be the parent or 

 rightful owner of the floating apparatus. It is probable, 

 however, that it makes use of the velella, not only to sup- 

 port itself near the surface of the ocean, but that it also de- 

 rives from it its principal nourishment, by absorbing its 

 juices. From some observation, I am rather of the opinion 



* In Peron and Le Sueur's account of tlie moluscous animals taken in the 

 Mediterranean near Nice, this is called hyalea lanceolata. We are at a loss 

 to account for this mistake in these remarkably profound and accurate Zoolo- 

 gists. 



