liar jelly-fish often appeared above the liquid
depths, contracting and expanding its soft, flat body, and thus
progressing through the still waters, its half-transparent form emitting
opaline colors under the warm rays of the sun. The many-armed, vaulting
cuttle-fish was seen now and again leaping out of the water as though
pursued by some aquatic enemy, though its general habit is not to
frequent the surface by daylight. Specimens of the deep-sea star-fish
with its five arms of equal length were abundant. Those which we met
here were of a reddish and purple color combined, but we have seen them
in shallower waters of a bright orange-yellow. While exhibiting but
little apparent life, the star-fish can yet be quite aggressive when
pressed by hunger and in search of food, having, as naturalists tell us,
a mysterious way of causing the oyster to open its shell, whereupon the
star-fish proceeds gradually to consume the body of the bivalve.

One frail, small rover of the quiet surface of the sea always interested
us,--the tiny nautilus, with a transparent shell almost as frail as
writing-paper. It was to be seen only in calm weather. If disturbed, it
drew itself within its sheltering cover and sank slowly from sight. No
wonder the ancient Greeks saw in its beautifully corrugated shell the
graceful model of a galleon; and hence its name, derived from the Greek
word which signifies a ship.

Every amusing suggestion, however trivial, is welcome, if it only serves
to break the depressing monotony of the sea,--a sail, a shark, a new
ocean bird, a school of porpoises. Two or three of our passengers had
supplied themselves with microscopes, and they often dropped a gauze
scoop-net over the ship's side, where it was permitted to trail for a
few moments; then drawing it on board they amused themselves by
subjecting the contents to a microscopic examination. The results were
often very curious. On one occasion a short bit of floating sea-weed was
thus obtained, upon which was securely woven a cluster of what looked
like tiny quinces in shape, though the color was jet black. They were
called sea-grapes by the sailors, but we knew them to be a cluster of
fishes' eggs. They proved to be those of the cuttle-fish, and were
eighteen or twenty in number.

Amiable persons exhibit their natural traits of disposition at sea in
strong contrast to those who are actuated by opposite qualities,--the
latter, we are sorry to say, being nearly alwa