Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-29
THE WONDERS OF THE SEA.
Viewing Fish from Under the
Oeean=Amphibious Life at
the Isle Of Wight.
(From the Graphic,

SHANKLtS, Isle of Wight, June TO.
After several days energetic sight
seeing in very hot weather, we packed
cur valises and stole away to the Isle
of Wight by the way Of Brighton,
where we stopped over three hours to
see the aquarium. You dsecend
series of elegant traces, and find your
self appa rently at the bottpm of the
sea. Cool arched, grotto-like halls ex~
tend in every direction. ending with
ferneries bright with falling water,
while along the sides Of the hong ar
cades only a chrystal wall separates
you from the watery homes of fishes,
eels, and all the ihnumerable fnny and
funey inhabitants of the deep. You
look up through the green water as if
you were fish yourself, and know for
The first time how it feels to be at the
bottom of che sea. Great, solemn,
aldermanic- looking codwhiting swim
up and stare into your very eyes
enormous conger ee!s writhe playfullv
around your head idiotie-looking dog
fish lie piled on one another, and blink
placidly into your face like SO many
sheep, while the skates and the sting
rays are fattened ods in painting fac
cidity upon the gravel at the bottom.
Little silver herring and golden 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 fringes of
the sea ahemones. Here, above all, is
the supreme beauty of the water
world.
Every variety of fringe and flower
cup is mimicked here in hdes that fair
ly rival the roses Of the garden.
Purest white, soft creamy sello~s, rich
salmon color, every shade Of tender
rose and glowing red and royal purple
and vivid green spring from these rocks
a living flower. with petals as delicate
as they are deadly. For these beauti-
| full fringes and etherial-lookins bubbles
OF color are so many tnurdefbhs arms
outstretcfed for food. As we watch
them swaying gently in the current,
poor little transparent shrimp comes
padding swiftly BY. He touches
rose colored petal, it Hsshes round him,
he is sucked into the gorgeous heart of
the flower, and it closes contentedlY
over his vanished form. They know
their danger generally, these poor little
creatures. and did they touch ever Sc
lightly the tip Of Floating fringe,
would spring away from 1t with an elec-
trical reeoiI. It is very Interesting
to spend few hours at the bottom of
the sea to see the eight-afmed pieuvre
hanging from the rocks, or the green
turtle sleeping peacefully just below
the surface OF the water ! to watch the
hermit crabs scutiing bdsily about each
in his stolen shell; and to study tho
manars of the tip toeing crayfsh and
unboiled lobster. There are curious
fresh-water fish here, too. in large
globes. Among others the Mexican
azotis, most melancholy of fish,
draped in inky hues, black as hearse
and feathers, with plumy tufts waving
all about their dissonsolate heads.
Then there are the telescope fish from
China, swollen and distorted golden
carp, with their eyes so gogle that they
really look like spy-glasses.