282 ODD VARIETIES OF PLAifTS AND ANIMALS. 
some smaller but more singular molluscous crea- 
tures. I arrived in a short time at the shores of the 
Seto-Uchi itself, and had an opportunity of examin- 
ing the vast, shallow, square enclosures where salt 
is made first by evaporation, and afterwards by 
boiling down in huge copper pans. I was also 
greatly interested in an establishment for forging 
iron, and especially for the manufiicture of nails. 
Encountering an old man and a child, I soon 
made their acquaintance, and was invited by them 
to enter a picturesque cottage, where I had a smoke 
and some tea with grandpapa, who showed me, with 
much inide, his chrysanthemums and bantams, the 
former of gigantic luoportions, and the latter perfect 
little beauties. The old man pointed to the tails of 
the small strutting cocks, which curled quite over 
their heads, and were considered the acme of ]Dcrfec- 
tion. The Japanese are famous hands at producing 
odd varieties of plants and animals. They will 
present you, at will, with a pigeon all white, with a 
black head and wings, or all black with a white head 
and wings. A cockscomb shall, with them, be straight 
