Page:The aquarium - an unveiling of the wonders of the deep sea.djvu/99

64 movement, continually crawling about the rocks and round the sides of the tank, by a gliding motion produced by the attachment and shifting of hundreds of sucker-feet, which are protruded at will, through minute pores in the calcareous integument. Their showy colours are exhibited to advantage on the dark rocks, around the projections and angles of which they wind their flexible bodies, now and then turning back a ray, from which the pellucid suckers are seen stretching and sprawling; and as they mount the glass, not only can their hues be admired, but the exquisite structure of their spines, and the mechanism of their suckers, can be studied at leisure.

Every haul of the dredge brought up several univalve shells, tenanted, not by their original constructors and proprietors, but by that busy intruder the Soldier-crab (Pagurus). Several species of this curious creature occurred, to whose vagaries I may devote a chapter presently. For a similar reason I shall only just allude to the beautiful Cloak Anemone (Adamsia palliata), and several other species of this charming family. Long-legged Spider-crabs of the genera Stenorynchus, Inachus, &c. were abundant, sprawling their slender limbs like bristles to an unconscionable distance, tempting us to think that if we had legs like these, we might cover the ground in a style that would put to shame the old giant-slayer's seven league boots.

But, as I have said, time and space would fail me if I were to attempt an enumeration of all the objects of interest that were brought to view in the course of a good day's dredging. Mollusca, both naked and