IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 271 
stomach, occupying the whole of its inside, but — sad to say — no 
heart ! 
Another odd little creature that lives at the bottom of the sea 
is called a " Currant Squirter." 
Perhaps you think that is a funny name, but it isn't a bit 
funnier than the fellow itself. In the first place, the whole family 
live on an old shell, or some such thing, and never think of leaving 
it. A nice quiet family they are, and very pretty for an aquarium, 
for they look exactly like drops of clear scarlet jelly. 
They get their name from a very curious fancy they have for 
"squirting." In fact, it seems to be the only amusement the poor 
things have. 
The largest one on the shell, is generally about as large as a 
cherry cut in half, flat side down, and she is the mother of the 
group. The baby of the family is the size of a pin's head, 
round, and red, and pretty as its Mamma. The rest of the family 
are all sizes between the two. But I must tell you about the 
" squirting." 
To begin with, she draws the sea-water into her mouth — which 
is in a funny place, on top of her head. The sea-water is full of 
tiny atoms of creatures, suitable to eat, and when the Squirter has 
taken all the food from the water, she squirts it out again, making a 
very droll little fountain of herself. 
She likes squirting so well that she even throws off her babies 
in the same way. Comical little dots of jelly drops they are, too. 
They go up quite high, and where they fall they settle for life. 
This is their first and last journey. After that they proceed to 
grow and squirt for the rest of their days. 
