The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-18

can alone PROVIDE remedy, ana IL pre-
vention be wiser than cure, money and
discretion must be lodged somewhere IN
time to prevent starvation"
A STRANGE CREATURE. among the
seaweed stems and pointed rocks we per-
ceive a long, black, tangled string, like
iant's leather boolace set to soak. Let us
trace it in its various folds and twists, and
disentangle some of them. We shall then
have in hand tough, slippery, India
rubber-like substance which might well be
pronounced a seastring and cIassed with
the long trailing weeds among which we
had found it. A sea-string il is, but not
weed; in fact a living lasso, capable OF
consuming the prey it incloses with
in its treachcrous folds From twenty
to thirty feet is no uncommon length for
this arful, animated tishing-Iine to reach,
but its diameter rarely exceeds an eighth of
an inch. 1t has a mouth, however, capable
of considerable distenson and holding pow
er. What can appear more innocent than
this delicate-looking creeper trailing here
and there as the heaving water swells and
flows as the tide comes in. Let an unwary
tube-dweller, lulled into false security
stretch forth its tenacles TO meet the wei
come wave, and pointed head is adroi ly
insinualed. The mouth effects its tenacious
grasp on the yielding tissues, and the ten
ant Of the tube becomes food for the Nemer-
les BorIassi, for such is the name OF this
cord-like freebooter. Mr.. Kingsbury APP
pears to have 1isore than ordinary
interest in the habits of this strange
creature. Speaking of it he inquiries;
is it alive?" 1t hangs helpless and notion
less, mere velvet string across the hand.
Ask the neighboring annelldeS and the Try
of the rock fishes, or put in vase at home
and see. 1t lies motionless, trailing Itself
along the gravel You can not tell where
it begins or ends. 1t may be a strip of dead
seaweed-H. manthalialorea-or Chorda-
fun, or even a tarred string, 80 thinks
the little fish who plays over 1t TIL he
touches at last what is too surely head.
In an instant bell-shaped sucker mouth
has fastened to its side; in another instant,
from one lip, a concave double probosclS,
lust like a tapir's (another instance of the
repetition of forlns), has Clasped him like a
finger. And now begins the struggle, but in
vain. He is being played with such fishing.
rod as the skill of Wilson or a Stoddard
never could invent-a living line. with elias
ticity beyond that of the most delicate fly
rods, which follows every lunge, shorten
ing and lcngthening, slipping and twisting
round every pece of gravel and stem Of sea-
weed with firing drag, such as no High
land wrist or step could ever bring to bear
on salmon or trout The victim is tired
now, and slowly yet dextrously his blind
assailant is feeling and shifting along his
side till he reaches one end of him; and
the black lips expand, and slowly and sure
ly the curved finger begins packing him
end foremost down intothe gullet, where he
sinks inch by inch till the swelling which
marks his place IS lost among the coils, ant
he is probably macerated into pulp lons
before he has reached the opposite extremi
ty. Once safe down, the black murderer
contracts again into a moderate heap, anc
lies like boa with stag inside him. mo
tonless and blest. Popular Educator.