portant variations, for instance, in this respect between the returns of
two great countries, the United Kingdom and the United States, which are
often compared, but are really most difficult to compare. (8) The United
Kingdom is a conspicuous instance of a country which has a great excess of
imports over exports in consequence of its large lending abroad in former
times; while its accounts are specially affected by the magnitude of its
services as a trading nation carrying passengers and goods all over the
world, which do not result, however, in so-called "exports." The United
States, on the other hand, is a conspicuous instance of an indebted nation,
which has or had until lately few or no sums to its credit in foreign trade
except the visible exports. (9) The various countries of the world
naturally fall into groups. The nations of western Europe, such as France,
Germany, Belgium, Holland, Sweden and Norway, fall into a [v.03 p.0237]
group with Great Britain as creditor nations, while Canada, Australasia and
the South American countries fall into a group with the United States as
undeveloped and indebted countries, So also of other countries, each
belongs naturally to one group or another. (10) The excess of imports or
exports may vary indefinitely at different times according as a creditor
country is receiving or lending at the time, or according as a debtor
country is borrowing or paying off its debts at the time, but the permanent
characteristics are always to be considered.

(R. GN.)

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--_Ptychodera flava_ (New Caledonia), from above;
about life size.]

BALANOGLOSSUS, the general name given to certain peculiar, opaque,
worm-like animals which live an obscure life under stones, and burrow in
the sand from between tide-marks down to the abyssal regions of the sea.
Their colour is usually some tone of yellow with dashes of red, brown and
green, and they frequently emit a pungent odour. The name has reference to
the tongue-shaped muscular proboscis by which the animal works its way
through the sand. The proboscis is not the only organ of locomotion, being
assisted by the succeeding segment of the body, the buccal segment or
collar. By the waves of contraction executed by the proboscis accompanied
by inflation of the collar, progression is effected, sometimes with
marvellous rapidity. The third body region or trunk may attain a great
length, one or two feet, or even more, and is also muscular, bu