ITS TEAGICAL FATE. 115 



ing the sea-weeds for minute animals. It was pleasant 

 to see with what diligence and sobriety, for he was 

 never eager or in a hurry, he pried into all the recesses 

 of the leafy weeds, especially the hushy Chondrus, 

 taking all positions and attitudes in order to scrutinize 

 the inmost corners ; and with encouraging success, 

 for he was continually picking off something, invishle 

 indeed to my eye, but eaten with evident gusto, to 

 judge by the smacking of his lips. I suppose these 

 were chiefly Entojnostraca, or perhaps Infusoria, 

 which the globular crystalline lens of his eye magnified 

 at the short distance at which he saw them. This 

 distance, which was commonly about half-an-inch, was 

 made sufliciently manifest, by the action of the fish, 

 for the snap was made doubtless the moment the prey 

 was seen. I never once saw the Oorkwing attempt 

 to take or even notice any floating atoms of food, 

 but only such as was attached, either to the Algae or 

 to stones. 



This pretty little fish came to an untimely end in a 

 singular way. A large specimen of the Parasitic 

 Actinia was in the Tank, a species which shoots out 

 its thread-bearing filaments in unusual abundance and 

 to great length, when alarmed. - 1 suppose the Cork- 

 wing must have accidentally touched the Zoophyte in 

 passing, but this I did not see. On looking at the 

 Aquarium, T saw the little fish with one of the filaments 

 sticking to its mouth, evidently the accident of that 

 very instant. It was greatly distressed ; darted hither 

 and thither wildly as if in agony ; soon lay down on 

 its side, and though two or three times it started up 

 and essayed to swim, it was presently dead. 



