. Little folks in feathers and fur, and others in neither. nd carry them to a hungry mouth. I think the oddest of these creatures is called Venus Girdle, It looks like a ribbon—long and narrow, of blue and silvercolor, and fringed on both edges. See his picture on preceding page. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, and is often five feet long and only two incheswide. It curls and un-winds itself in the water,and is a beautiful thing tosee. In some places, it iscalled the Sea Sabre. The last picture ofthese beautiful creatures iscalled the Berce, thoughsailors sometimes callthem Sea Cucumbers
. Little folks in feathers and fur, and others in neither. nd carry them to a hungry mouth. I think the oddest of these creatures is called Venus Girdle, It looks like a ribbon—long and narrow, of blue and silvercolor, and fringed on both edges. See his picture on preceding page. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, and is often five feet long and only two incheswide. It curls and un-winds itself in the water,and is a beautiful thing tosee. In some places, it iscalled the Sea Sabre. The last picture ofthese beautiful creatures iscalled the Berce, thoughsailors sometimes callthem Sea Cucumbers, ashameful name for such abeauty. Here it is. The body is of apale rose color, coveredwith small red spots. Ithas fine fringes down itssides which vibrate in thewater, and produce the ef-fect of all the colors in therainbow. It looks likeglass, and changes its form,sometimes swelling up likea ball and then reversingitself to look like a bell, andat other times long, and asit is in the picture. It has a large end at its lower extremity, and a monstrous. IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 271 stomach, occupying the whole of its inside, but — sad to say—noheart ! Another odd little creature that lives at the bottom of the seais called a Currant Squirter. Perhaps you think that is a funny name, but it isnt a bitfunnier than the fellow itself. In the first place, the whole familylive on an old shell, or some such thing, and never think of leavingit. A nice quiet family they are, and very pretty for an aquarium,for they look exactly like drops of clear scarlet jelly. They get their name from a very curious fancy they have forsquirting. In fact, it seems to be the only amusement the poorthings have. The largest one on the shell, is generally about as large as acherry cut in half, flat side down, and she is the mother of thegroup. The baby of the family is the size of a pins head,round, and red, and pretty as its Mamma. The rest of the familyare all sizes between the two. But I must tell you
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublishe, booksubjectzoology
