798 Marvels of the Universe 
belly are called, is no new thing ; 
for we know from the remains of 
fossil fishes that ages ago, far 
back in the Cretaceous epoch, 
there lived fishes which in this 
respect possibly exceeded what 
now obtains in the Sail-bearer. 
A finely-preserved specimen of 
one of these, which has many 
living representatives, known as 
Sea-bats and common in the In- 
dian Ocean and Western Pacific, 
is to be seen in the Fossil-fish 
Gallery in the British Museum ; 
and a photograph thereof is 
given here. This, too, we must 
assume was a “ pelagic’”’ fish. 
That existence in the ocean 
wilds is not directly responsible 
for this remarkable shape is 
amply demonstrated by other 
fishes living in the same areas 
which are the exact opposite in 
shape, being drawn out to an 
inordinate length, so as to form 
mere ribbons! And here, again, 
we find the same thing in the 
records of the rocks, for in the 
Fossil-fish Gallery just referred 
to may be seen aspecimen with 
That this development of the fins is no new thing these fossil bones of a species allomg, tulbulla, orsipiaelie-sieeypee 
of Sea-bat clearly show; for here the peculiarity is carried toan even greater pitch head, and a ridiculously at- 
than it is in the Sail-bearer. tenuated body 
Finally, mention must be made of a fish from the West Coast of Africa which in outline agrees 
with the Sail-bearer; but here the body itself and not the fins has been changed, so that it is 
twice as deep as it is long, a distinction shared by no other fish living or extinct. 
A FOSSIL SEA-BAT. 
WATER MITES 
BY CHARLES D. SOAR, F.L.S., F.R.M.S. 
Amoncst other inhabitants of fresh water, ponds, ditches and streams, are a number of small spider- 
looking creatures known as Water Mites. Although closely related to spiders, they can be readily 
recognized from spiders in having the body in one segment. They require a microscope to see them 
properly, and when properly lighted and viewed under, say, an inch and a half objective, they 
form a very fascinating object. They vary much in size according to the species, from a pea to a 
very small pin’s-head. Red is the most common colour, but some exhibit every conceivable hue. 
The coloured plate with this article will show this. They have been found in fresh water in all 
parts of the world, and there are upwards of a thousand species known to science. In the British 
Isles we have recorded over two hundred distinct species, and it is more than probable there are 
