3 i6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of a boat hollowed above, rounded in front, and drawn out into 

 two points behind (Fig. 1) the outer surface having wart-like pro- 

 cesses, while fine points like the teeth of a saw rise from the 

 upper edges in front of and behind the body. 



The body itself lies in the upper hollow of the boat, and is so 

 loosely fixed to it that if carelessly handled it is easily separated 

 from the shell. The shell is made of a uniform and structureless 

 substance, about midway in consistence between jelly and gristle. 

 The animal does not appear to be especially affected in its mo- 

 tions by separation from the boat, but flies around in the water 

 as before ; but, as it does not live long in captivity, it has not been 

 possible to determine whether or not it is able to form a new 

 shell. It may be ^aid, against such a supposition, that besides per- 

 fect animals, only empty shells or rarely shelless animals are found 

 in the sea, while none have ever been observed with imperfect 

 shells, as must have been the case did a new growth take place. 



The body is very curiously constructed. Leaving out the 

 wings, it appears insignificant in proportion to the shell, and as if 

 buried in it. The fore-part corresponds with the thicker, bluntly 

 rounded part of the boat. In the posterior channel plays a thread- 

 like tail-appendage, starting from a heart-shaped, extremely thin, 

 and transparent fin, which is attached to the body by a thicker 

 stem. There is no head ; in front, at the spot where the wings 

 join in the central line, lies the mouth, projecting in the shape of 

 a little round mast, behind which a dark-brown, crescent-shaped 

 streak may be perceived. This is the pharynx-head shining 

 through the body-cover. Like other mollusks, this animal bears 

 a peculiar inner armament which has been wrongly named the 

 tongue, but has not the least in common with the tongue of ver- 

 tebrates. This tongue is variously formed, according to the food 

 of the animal — like a file or rubber in plant-eaters, or provided 

 with teeth, hooks, and thorns in carnivores. All the sea-butter- 

 flies have on their tongues rows of strong, pointed hooks ; they 

 are — perhaps with a few exceptions — distinctively carnivorous. 

 But our fishing did not end with the capture of a few Cyrribulice, 

 and slipping them into the glasses which we had provided, for 

 inspection at home. The Cymbulicz are the giants among the 

 sea-butterflies of the Bay of Villaf ranca ; a multitude of small fry 

 also swim in the tide which even the most skilled eye can not dis- 

 tinguish from the water, so clear and transparent are they. 



" Slowly, Joacchino ! Let us drift with the stream ! " 



I sink the fine net into the water, so that its rim is barely un- 

 der the surface, and set the long handle on the edge of the boat 

 against the thole-pin. Joacchino slowly pushes the boat onward 

 without beating the water. 



" Stop ! Give me the lager-beer glass ! " 



