A YOUNG NATURALIST. 



243 



and stretching out over our heads an arm which a sculptor's 

 chisel could scarcely have rendered more life-like. There 

 were also shapeless mouths, monstrous heads, and animals, 

 appearing as if they had been petrified, in menacing atti- 

 tudes. The illusion was rendered more or less complete 

 according to the play of the light ; and many a strange 

 shape was but caught sight of for a moment, to as rapidly 

 vanish. 



While we were moving about the cave, some long nee- 

 dles, hanging from the roof, touched our heads. 



" They are stalactites," said I to the astonished Lucien. 

 " The rain-water, filtering through the mountain above, dis- 

 solves the calcareous matter it meets with, and produces, 

 when it evaporates, the beautiful concretions you are now 

 looking at." 



" Here is a needle coming up from the ground." 



" That is a stalagmite ; it increases upward, and not 

 downward like the stalactites, through which, besides, a tube 

 passes. Look up at that beautiful needle, with a drop of 

 water glittering at the end of it. That liquid pearl, which 

 has already deposited on the stalactite a thin layer of lime, 

 will fall down on the stalagmite, the top of which is round- 

 ed. After a time the two needles will join, adding another 

 column to the grotto, which, in the course of time, will be- 

 come filled up with them." 



"Then do stones proceed from water?" asked Lucien, 

 with a thoughtful air. 



" To a certain extent," I replied ; " water holds in solu- 

 tion calcareous matter, and, as soon as the liquid evaporates, 

 stone is formed." 



" According to this," interposed l'Encuerado, " the peb- 

 bles ought to melt in the rivers." 



" So they do ; but they do not melt so easily as some 

 things^ — sugar, for instance. Don't you recollect that in the 



