110 
THE SALT-WATER AQUARIUM. 
sedate manner was merely assumed for my deception. During the dusk of 
evening, the little fellow had crept to the neighborhood of a sw'eet purple 
bellis, that sat flowering on a grassy bank. Upon my first discovering him, 
he had just reached the object of his attack. The plan of his operation, 
was rather remarkable. It seemed as if he possessed the power of fasci¬ 
nating his victim by a basilisk glance; for if I touched the little daisy, 
though ever so slightly, it would close its hands quickly over its breast, 
shrinking, like the sensitive plant, in evident alarm. But now, this dan¬ 
dified mollusk, with his milk-white coat, and purple-tipped streamers waving 
therefrom, not only touched my pet, but insidiously crawled about, and by 
slow degrees detached it entire from the disk, the tentacles not being in the 
slightest degree contracted during the whole of the manoeuvre. When this 
was done, he dragged down the unsuspecting creature, and, serpent-like, 
crept forward until he reached her pretty golden lips. Then, and then only 
did she infold her blossom, and, 
“ Like a lily drooping, 
Bow her head and die.” 
Next morning, having dispatched his meal, the eolis appeared highly 
delighted with himself; and to show that his gormandizing had had no bad 
effect upon his usual graceful gait, but, on the contrary, had rather exhila¬ 
rated his spirits, he marched prettily up the sides of the tank. Thereafter, 
to my great astonishment, he walked on the surface of the water, like a fly 
upon the ceiling of a room, head downward! 
Such an occurrence is by no means unusual with this class of animals; 
but it struck me at the time as being very curious, as I had not had any 
opportunity of witnessing it before. I have often done so since. 
The Sea-Mouse belongs to the class annelida, or red-blooded worms. 
Its appearance is much like that of an enormous caterpillar. Its upper sur¬ 
face is covered with a double row of 
broad membranous plates overlap¬ 
ping each other, beneath winch are 
the gills, resembling little fleshy 
crests. These plates are covered 
with a sort of hair, which springs 
from their outer margin, and besides 
these the upper surface is beset with 
bundles of iridescent bristles, brilliant as the plumage of the humming-bird, 
and of which metallic blue, green, and gold are the predominating tints. 
After a gale of wind, many of them are thrown upon shores, and fishermen 
frequently dredge them from deep waters. 
The Fish-Louse, or Rock-Louse, may frequently be seen running over 
rocks, and particularly quays, where the crevices between the stones afford 
them a safe retreat. They resemble in appearance the common wood-louse, 
and are sometimes used as bait for small fishes. When disturbed it rolls 
: self into a ball. 
SEA-MOTJSE. 
