102 THE CRISEIS. 



in that vain fancy never saw Firolce in their 

 native element. 



In sunny and calm spring weather the Lycian 

 sea, at some distance from shore, seems as if filled 

 with glancing needles of glass. A similar ap- 

 pearance may be observed in fine days in winter, 

 but is due to a different cause. In the former 

 case the appearance is produced by the presence 

 of numerous mollusks of the order Pteropoda, and 

 belonging to the genus Criseis, creatures bearing 

 slender, transparent, pointed needle-shaped shells. 

 From the wider ends of these they spread out 

 their organs of motion, resembling the wings 

 of butterflies, by means of which they dance up 

 and down and move in all directions in the water, 

 even as insects do in the air. The glassy 

 needles of the winter sea are long threads of 

 silicious substance formed of animalculae jointed 

 end to end. When kept some time the joints 

 separate and move about independently. 



The testaceous mollusks of the shores of Lycia 

 are numerous, but more remarkable for variety 

 than for their dimensions. On the rocks near 

 the water's edge, several species of Limpet, 

 especially Patella scutellata, and Patella Bonnardi, 

 are common. Also the Haliotis and the Fis- 



