THE LOWEST FORMS OF LIFE. 51 
been most successful, and I bad little difficulty in preparing a 
slide tbat contained a variety of microscopical forms. 
Displaying these to the best advantage, I called our young 
visitor, whose curiosity, I was told, had meanwhile been finding 
vent in more conjectures, and who soon arrived, in company 
with one or two members of my family. 
In order that the reader may be better able to understand 
what followed, I have annexed a sketch of some of the forms as 
they appeared in the instrument, but must add that it gives a very 
inadequate idea of the scene that presented itself (pi. v.). The 
brilliant colours of the objects, chiefly of the brightest green, 
their varied movements, and the blaze of liquid fight in which 
they floated — all are gone, and only the inanimate likenesses are 
here pourtrayed. 
“Well, what do you see ? ” I asked, as she bent her head, 
astonished, over the instrument. 
“ See ? why, this might be the secret haunt of some bright 
fairy, whose magic influence is at work down there ! ” 
“ And can you recognise no power above a fairy’s in that 
scene of hidden wonders ? ” I remarked. 
“ True, true,” said she ; “ but what are all these living 
shapes ? Is this a microscope, or telescope ? Why, surely 
these must be the heavenly bodies ! ” 
She raised her head to look again at the slide, on which, 
however, she could detect nothing beyond the drop of water 
covered with a thin square piece of glass. 
“ Look once more into the instrument before the objects 
leave the field ; for I may not be able to show them to you so 
favourably grouped again.” 
“Well, I see a little globe, green and bright as our own 
beautiful world, revolving slowly on its axis ; but its brilliant 
hue is here derived from countless emeralds that stud its surface ; 
and, bless me ! she is indeed a ‘ mother earth/ for I see 
several more such globes revolving within her body ! And 
yonder is the moon in her first quarter ; and below, Jupiter, 
with his four satellites ; — but, they are flown — no, here they are 
again, whisking about as gaily as ever. 
“ And that must be the sun, that pale yellow sphere with 
diverging rays. 
“ But what is this amongst the heavenly bodies ? ’Tis a 
double cross ! ” 
All present appeared to enjoy her surprise, but none more 
than I ; and I could not help laughing at each new exclamation 
of delight. 
“ Now,” I remarked, after her surprise had somewhat abated, 
“ I must to some extent break the charm. The beautiful 
revolving globe is Vol/vox fjlohator (only the Latin designa- 
e 2 
