Marine Aquarium. 4373 



awhile, but in the end were pretty sure to fall victims to his Crus- 

 taceous Majesty, against whose insinuating ways no operculum was 

 proof; one prudent limpet, however, has contrived to baffle his 

 attempts for two or three months, and still shares the vivarium with 

 safety. Having learned wisdom, it may be by the fate of his com- 

 panions, he never quits the glass wall of his abode, but glides slowly 

 about with his shield to the enemy, or rests quietly, head downwards, 

 displaying no sign of life but by the motion of the little cilia which 

 fringe his shell. But one portion of the inhabitants of this " crystal 

 palace 1 ' have not vet been mentioned, between whom and the crab a 

 mutual compact of forbearance seems to have been entered into : these 

 are the Actiniae or sea-anemonies, four or five of which have dwelt 

 peacefully in the midst of this scene of carnage, that is to say there 

 has been peace maintained between them and the Crustacean warrior, 

 but with the weaker inhabitants of the jar they too wage war. When 

 dropping in some sand-shrimps, on one occasion, a large specimen, 

 that fell near a smallish Actinia, was instantly seized and engulphed 

 by this apparently feeble creature. The crab's size is evidently his 

 protection, but they are plainly distasteful to him, and he interferes 

 not with large or small, save it may be to wrest from one any article 

 of food which it happens to be devouring. Some smaller zoophytes 

 of the Flustra tribe are interesting, from their graceful forms and quick 

 movements ; and the plumose tufts of the little Spirorbis, so common 

 on various sea-weeds, make a pretty appearance in the glass. A mark 

 is made on the side of the jar, and whenever the surface of the water, 

 from evaporation, falls below this point, fresh water is added to make 

 up the deficiency, so that the saltness as well as the quantity of the 

 contents remain the same. 



I fancy the readers of the c Zoologist ' will not be sorry if I now 

 come to a conclusion, having, 1 believe, said enough to show that a 

 considerable amount of amusement may be derived from even a pint 

 of sea-water. 



George Guyon. 



Ventnor, Isle of Wight, 

 June 6, 1854. 



XII. 



2 G 



