Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-04
THE WONDERS OF THE SEA.
Viewing RIsh from Under this Ocean
AmphibiOus Life at tbs Isle
of Wight.

New York Graphicl
SHANKLIN, ISLE OF WIGHT, June 10.
After several days energetic sightseeing
in very hot weather, we packed our va
Uses ard stole away to the Isle OF Wight,
by way of Brighton, where we stopped
over three hours to see the aquarium.
You descend q series Of elegant terraces
aud find yourself apparently at the bot
tom Of the sea. Cool, arched, grotto
like halls extend in every direction, end
ing in ferneries bright with falling wa
ter, while along the sides OF the long al
csdes only a crystal wall separates you
from the hordes of fishes, eels, and all
the iDnumersble finny aud funny inhab-
itants OF the deep. You look, too,
through the green water as if you were a
isb yourself, and know for the first time
how it feels to be at the bottom Of the
sea. Great, solemn, aldermanic-look-
ing, cod-whiting swim up and stare into
your very eyes; enormous conger eels
wTithe plsyfully around your head; i'd
iotic-looking dOg-fsh lie piled on one
another, and blink plscidly into your
face like SO many sheep while the skates
and the stingrays are fatteled out in
painting fiaccidity upon the gravel at the
bottom. Little silver herring and gold
en-hued young salmon drift about like
clouds, lit by the moon, and on all
sides, against the rocks that vary the
surface of the tanks, wave the exquisite
iriDges Of tie sea-anemones. Here,
above all, is the supreme beauty Of the
waterworld. Every variety of fri g
aud fiOwer-cup is mimicked here
in hCeB that fairly rival the roses
of the garden. Purest white, soft,
creamy yellows, rich salmon color, every
shade of tender rose and glowing red
and royal purple and vivid green spring
fro u theas rocks a living flower, with
petals as delicate ss they are deadly.
For these beautiful flinges and ethereal. !
looking bubbles OF color are so many
muTdaTous arms oulstretched for fOOd. |
As we watch them swsyiag gently in
the current, a poor little transparent
shrimp comes padding swiftly by. He
touches q rose-colOred petal, it flashes
round him, he is sucked into the gorge |
Gus heart OF the flower, and it closes con- |
tentedly over his vanished form. They |
knew their danger generally, these poor |
little creatures, and did they touch ever |
50 lightly the lip Of floating fringe, |
would spring away from il with an elee- |
tTicRl TecOil. 1t is a very interesting |
thing to spend few hours at the bottom |
OF the sea to see the eight-armed pieUvre
hanging from the rocks, or the green |
turtle sleeping peacefully just below the |
surface OF the water; to watch the her.
nit crabs scuLtling Lusily about, each |
in his stolen she'll; and to study the |
manners OF the tip.toeiDg craytish and
the unboilei lobster. There are curious |
fresh-w water fish here, too, in large globes. |
Among others the Mexican szotis, most |
melancholy offish, drsped in inky hues,
black as q hearse and feathers, with |
plenty tufts waving al, about their dis
consolste heads. Then there are the tel
escope fl al f:om China, swollen and dis
torted golden carp, with their eyes so
google that they reslly look like spy.
glasses.