ly with
eight longitudinal bands, composed of many comb-like plates, along which
iridescent waves of light continually play. The graceful appearance of
these exquisite creatures is increased by two long, fringed tentacles
streaming behind, drifting at full length or contracting into numerous
coils. The fringe on these streamers is a series of living hairs--an
aquatic cobweb, each active with life, and doing its share in ensnaring
minute atoms of food for its owner. When dozens of these _ctenophores_ (or
comb-bearers) as they are called, glide slowly to and fro through a pool,
the sight is not soon forgotten. To try to photograph them is like
attempting to portray the substance of a sunbeam, but patience works
wonders, and even a slightly magnified image of a living jelly is secured,
which shows very distinctly all the details of its wonderfully simple
structure; the pouch, suspended in the centre of the sphere, which does
duty as a stomach; the sheaths into which the long tentacles may be so
magically packed, and the tiny organ at the top of this living ball of
spun glass, serving, with its minute weights and springs, as compass,
rudder, and pilot to this little creature, which does not fear to pit its
muscles of jelly against the rush and might of breaking waves.

Even the individual comb-plates or rows of oars are plainly seen,
although, owing to their rapid motion, they appear to the naked eye as a
single band of scintillating light. This and other magnified photographs
were obtained by fastening the lens of a discarded bicycle lantern in a
cone of paper blackened on the inside with shoe-blacking. With this crude
apparatus placed in front of the lens of the camera, the evanescent
beauties of these most delicate creatures were preserved.

Other equally beautiful forms of jelly-fish are balloon-shaped. These are
_Beroe_, fitly named after the daughter of the old god Oceanus. They, like
others of their family, pulsate through the water, sweeping gracefully
along, borne on currents of their own making.

Passing to other inhabitants of the pools, we find starfish and
sea-urchins everywhere abundant. Hunched-up groups of the former show
where they are dining in their unique way on unfortunate sea-snails or
anemones, protruding their whole stomach and thus engulfing their victim.
The urchins strain and stretch with their innumerable sucker-feet, feeling
for something to grasp, and in this laborious way pull themselves alon