LETTEES FEOM ALABAMA. 
.11 
slug, the Scyllcea^ one of the naked-gilled mollusca, 
crawls with its narrow grooved foot about the 
stems, and surprises one with its uncouth, almost 
shapeless form, and leather-like consistence. But 
the most vivacious, and therefore the most amusing 
of the denizens of this floating forest that I found, 
were the different sorts of crabs and shrimps that 
abounded in it. Their numbers, their variety, the 
brilliant hues of many, the peculiarities of struc- 
ture that fitted them for an ocean-life, the instincts 
which impelled the strong to prey on the weaker, 
and the latter to escape, with the watchfulness, 
cunning, agility, and artful devices continually 
brought into exercise by both parties in this pre- 
datory warfare, afforded an instructive entertain- 
ment for many an hour. 
It would make this letter far too long, if I were 
to describe in detail all that was interesting to me 
as a naturalist. The ocean, like the land, is 
peculiarly prolific in the manifestations of life, 
beneath the genial influence of the vernal sun; 
and in the latitudes which I was now traversing, 
the forms of animal existence assume astonishing 
variety and brilliancy. That splendid creature, 
the coryphene, or dolphin of mariners, was a fre- 
quent visitant to our little craft ; the spotted rud- 
der-fish, and the purple-banded pilot, were often 
seen beneath the stern : that strange fish, the re- 
mora, w^ould occasionally fasten itself by the curious 
mechanism of its coronal shield to the vessel’s 
quarter or to the side of some lurking shark, thus 
taking a ride, like those dishonest boys who 
jump up behind a passing coach, without expensed 
Shoals of playful porpoises would gambol round 
us, and presently troop off in haste, as suddenly as 
