MINIATURE FLOTILLAS, ral

nity. Shall I speak, for example, of the vetelles,
which present the appearance of a small wherry
with its bottom upwards, on the back of which
rises a sort of crest, extremely thin, light, and
transparent, which is a large sail, serving the
animal to direct its movements, and to vary and
increase its velocity. Always keeping close to the
wind, this elegant azure boat advances in order,
tacks with rapidity, and changes its course accord-
ing to its pleasure or need, and rarely fails of at-
taining the prey it pursues. The elegance of the
form of this creature, the transparency of its sail,
the beautiful mantle of blue with which it is clad,
ali concur to render it one of the most pleasing of
the species; indeed, nothing can afford a more
charming picture than these animals, when, in
calm weather, they manceuvre by thousands on
the surface of the sea, resembling so many gay
ininiature flotillas.

“Tn the Beroes, nature seems to have exhausted
herself to produce the utmost grace and brilliancy
in the perfection of the figure, the richness of the
hues, and the varicty of the movements. Their
substance, more pellucid than the clearest crystal,
is generally of a beautiful rose, opal, or azure
colour, Their form is more or less spheroidic ;
eight or ten longitudinal ribs are disposed around
it, cach formed of a prodigious number of small