FEROCITY OF THE FIROLA. 101 



notice. The animal to which he alludes was far 

 more probably the Carinaria mediterranean a 

 pteropodous mollusk, having a shell closely resem- 

 bling that of an Argonaut. It lives in the 

 iEgean, and, as it is a swimmer, might easily be 

 confounded generically with the latter. It 

 belongs to the same order with the Firola or 

 Pterotrachea, a curious creature, two or three 

 inches long or more, resembling the fish called 

 Hippocampus, or sea-horse, in shape, but of soft 

 translucent jelly-like substance. Yet though so 

 tender and fragile these mollusks are among 

 the most ferocious of marine animals. When 

 cruizing off the Lycian coast during the warm 

 weather at the close of autumn we used to 

 collect them in a tow-net, and then, placing 

 them in glass jars full of sea-water, watch their 

 habits. Delicate and beautiful as they seemed, 

 the chief object of each seemed to be the des- 

 truction of his companions. The only hard parts 

 in their bodies are a pair of horny jaws. With 

 these, a Firola would seize some individual of the 

 same species, not so strong as itself, and merci- 

 lessly tear its writhing prey, and devour it. It 

 is a popular notion that no animals become 

 cannibals from choice except man. The believers 



