n put off, put off, on account of the
expenses of the war."

"But, uncle--" began Rodd.

"No, you don't, sir," said Uncle Paul, with a soft chuckle. "None of
your artfulness! You are trying to lead me on to prattle about Bony, so
as to avoid my lecture upon the fresh-water polypes I have taken to-day.
Get out, you transparent young scrub! In with you, and fetch down the
case, and light the two candles on the parlour table. Nice innocent way
of doing it. Think I couldn't see through you, sir? Be off!"

A few minutes later Uncle Paul's pipe was cooling on the parlour
chimney-piece, kept almost upright by the waxy end leaning against a
glass tube which had been formed into a sort of ornamental rolling-pin
to be suspended over the fire, and to be much treasured by its owner.

It was not a very aesthetic piece of art or ornamentation, being only
composed of coloured flowers carefully cut out of a piece of chintz,
before being gummed upon the inside of the glass tube. This was then
filled up with salt, and the ornament was complete.

The candles were burning brightly after each application of the
snuffers; the polished mahogany microscope case stood on a side-table,
and the brass tube that had been taken out was ready to receive one of
the many slips of glass, some of which had little cup-like hollows
ground out of one side ready for receiving a tiny drop of water and one
or other of the specimens, the result of the past day's search.

Uncle Paul was on one side of the table with his big glass bottle; Rodd
sat on the other, with his chin resting in his hands, trying to listen
to his uncle's discourse, and with his eyelids drooping down now and
again.

"Bother the flies and moths!" said Uncle Paul testily. "Who's to work
with them circling round and round the candles, trying to singe
themselves to death? What's that white one, boy?"

"Ghost moth, uncle," replied Rodd sharply, his uncle's question seeming
to rouse him up to attention.

"Good boy! Well named. Trying hard to make a ghost of itself too.
Why, there's a great Daddy Longlegs now! Here, you'll have to shut the
window."

"Oh, don't, uncle! It will make the room so hot."

"Umph! So it will. Very tiresome, though, when one's trying to work.
Now then, let me see; let me see. I want to examine this hydra, but I
must put on a lower power, and--Oh, dear, dear, dear! Gnats! Moths!
Tipulae and--Really, really, Pickle, that lamp gives no light at