Year: 1874

The poet has said, Happy and wise
is he to whom there is not a triae." To
students of nature, this is ever a truth,
however great or small may be the OBJ.
jects Of consideration.


Taking an excursion, where we might
peep into the hidden recesses Of nature,
we find ourselves on the border of q
beautiful lake. skirted on every side BY
green herbage of various kinds. dotted
here and there with islets fringed with
the greenest luxurience. In the clear
waters of this delightful expanse, we see
innumerable living forms of wonderful
structure and marvellous movements.
Here are globular beings, whirlng and
spinning, and shooting along their
course, as if filed with ecstacies, they
show their appreciation Of the delightful
scenes by which they are surrounded.
Here are fringed little beauties that dart
through the water with amazing swift
ness, only stopping long enough to al
low us to observe their form, then, as
stars, shooting off, as if to show us what
they can do The sets are surrounded
and thronged with living, moving beings,
appearing by their motions to enjoy life
But, as we were about to come to the
conclusion that all is felicity here, be-
hold we see in the depths hideous ser
pent, hio head and glaring eyes are plain
ly to be seen; he is whitish, with bright
red spots all along each side Of his back
as we glance along his wavy length, we
find at his tail two broad legs, with feet.
by which he can hold to objects while be
moves his body about in the water in
search Of food.


Looking down in the clear water, we
see, as it were balloons, partially filed,
folding and rolling, as if too heavy to
float, yet too light to resist the current !;
these are living beings their folding and
rolling are their means of locomotion.


There is commotioa in the placid
water; as we draw near to observe its
cause, we behold being Of frightful
micn, covered with shell, armed with
long sharp spines by which he is defend.
ed from the assaults Of the finny tribes
that swarm about him. There are many
Of these depths, but none so
terrible and diabolical as this one. He
makes his predaceous excursions in every
direction, appearing to be master of the
situation. He creates vortex by certain
machinery with which he is provided, in
which the smaller beings are helplessly
whirled around, then opening his great
mouth, the food pours down his throat,
with it the hsl pess creatures,
which find their last home in bis stom-
ach none can escape, unless, not suiting
his palate, be elects them with such force
rs to show he has no especial care as to
their future welfare While his machine
is in motion, creating his vortex, if he
finds that any Of his prey is able to resist
its force and is about to escape from the
waters, he darts out from his
back lenghthy proboscis by which he
seizes it and dsposes of it quickly by
making food of it. When any brush or
drift Of any kind gets into his vortex, he
iarts out his proboseis, dexterously
gathering it up, he raises it high above,
md casts it far out from the circling wa
.crs, 50 as not to be in his way as he
,akes in his food. Knowledge, reason,
instinct, or whatever it may be called,
teaches him to avoid the danger Of get
ting such things into his throat.


(To be continued.)