SEA-MOUSE. 



153 



dying when they are not suspected, and so tainting 

 the water, to the destruction of animal life. Most 

 of the tubicolous worms come out of their houses 

 before they die, but the serpula often excepts 

 himself from the general rule, retreats into his 

 shell as far as he can go, and there dies. It is 

 very difficult to discover whether the animal is 

 really dead or only sulky — if the latter, he 

 recovers his temper in a day or so, and waves 

 his plumes as usual ; but if the former, a white 

 film begins to collect over the mouth of the 

 tube : this must be accepted as a hint for instant 

 removal. In general, if a serpula does not spread 

 its fans boldly and decidedly from the tube, and 

 permits the stopper to droop over the mouth, it 

 should be gently touched with a camel's-hair 

 brush ; if it does not smartly shoot back into its 

 tube, that serpula is in a bad state of health, and 

 must be looked after. It is always better to 

 remove the creature at once, than to run the 

 risk of tainting the water with the unpleasant 

 smell that immediately follows upon the death 

 of any marine animal. 



On plate f, fig. 4, may be seen a figure of a 

 creature that does not look at all prepossessing, 

 yet this very animal is one of the most gorgeous 

 creatures that can be imagined, the metallic bril- 



