898 Marvels of the Universe 
Photo by] [Robert Whitbread. 
A SANDSTORM. 
A photograph taken near Kartum in the Egyptian Soudan of an approaching sandstorm. The chief factor in such a 
storm is the simoon, or whirlwind, which accumulates in itself vast clouds of sand and dust which it cannot support and 
which it releases on its onward course. 
THE GIRDLE OF VENUS 
Tue Girdle of Aphrodite would perhaps be a more fitting title to apply to this jewelled riband of 
the sea ; for the Greek goddess was more definitely connected with the sea than her later rival, the 
Roman Venus. Aphrodite, as her name implies, was born of the foam; to her were credited the 
dual divinities of Beauty and the Sea, and, therefore, to her were dedicated all the fairest treasures 
of her realm. But to-day Venus has usurped her rank and her attributes, so that we frequently 
meet with such names as Venus’ Flower-basket, Venus’ Ear, Venus’ Looking-glass and Venus’ 
Girdle. But what may be this Girdle? Imagine a transparent riband some five feet in length, 
coiling and uncoiling as it curves its way through the water, the long edges of the riband fringed 
with small thread-like tentacles or ciléa. Imagine it, too, with the sunlight playing on it, when it 
will reflect a thousand wonderful tints of silver and azure, pink and amethyst, or, on a dark night, 
when its rainbow hues will be changed for brilliant phosphorescence and it will appear as a glowing 
riband of lambent flame. Surely so beautiful an object might not unworthily be ascribed to the 
goddess of the sea. But the nature of this wonderful riband has not been described. It isa jelly- 
fish and belongs to the group of Sea-Gooseberries, which have already been described (see page 824). 
Although in shape it differs so peculiarly from these little sea-balloons with their long tentacles, it 
is a difference which is more apparent than real ; for, as a well-known writer has aptly remarked, 
if one of these little balloons could be rolled out in the same way as a cook rolls out pastry with 
a rolling-pin, the result would be just such a riband as we have here. The mouth of this queer 
creature is situated in the middle of the lower edge and opens out into a large stomach. To right 
and left extend long canals which carry the nutriment into all parts of the body. Since the body 
proper extends across the shortest width, Venus’ Girdle must be considered to be short and very 
