side part of a sea-flower is divided by many partitions, forming a
circle of store-rooms; into these rooms he passes his food, where it
remains till all the juices are extracted, after which he passes it out
again the same way it entered. The colors and forms of all our
sea-flowers are wonderfully beautiful. Their thousands of hands (the
fringe-like part), which are constantly moving in all directions in
search of food, remind one of an animated aster.

[Illustration: BARNACLES.]

Small groups of acorn-barnacles, when attached to stones or wood, are
very desirable objects for the aquarium. For a few hours after being
placed in their new home they will remain closed, but as soon as they
become accustomed to their surroundings, one after another will
cautiously throw out his feathery casting-net in search of food. Then
the reaching and grasping become so rapid and general that the eye can
hardly follow their motions.

I feed my fish three times a week with soft or hard shell clams cut
fine, taking great care that no food remains uneaten to taint the water.
For bottoms for aquariums I use coarse bird-gravel, or pebbles
thoroughly washed, with small masses of rock-work.

UNCLE EBENEZER'S UMBRELLA.

BY JAMES B. MARSHALL.

"Oh, mamma, we're going to the orchard to play," said Archy. "May we
take an umbrella to keep the sun off?"

Mamma Stewardson, being up stairs, called in a low voice over the
baluster, "Yes, dears, and take a large one."

So Archy and Gertie took the very largest umbrella in the stand--an
enormous one. Its ribs were whalebone, its cover green gingham, and the
handle ended in a knob nearly as large as a door-knob. But that umbrella
was very highly valued by Uncle Ebenezer Stewardson, its owner, who
carried it with him wherever he went, rain or shine. Uncle Ebenezer's
grown nieces and nephews thought it very odd in him to carry such a
queer-looking umbrella. They often hoped that something would happen to
it, so that when they went about with him--he was one of the kindest and
happiest of uncles--every one wouldn't be attracted by that great green
bundle. How Cousin Adolphus did despise that umbrella!

But Gertie and Archy took the umbrella, only thinking it was a splendid
big one; and as Uncle Ebenezer was taking a nap, of course he couldn't
know who was carrying off his precious property. As they passed out,
Cousin Adolphus was arranging his sketching materials to go down to the
pond back