widely circulated than that of any other author of the early middle ages, and there can be but little doubt that whoever executed these paintings was well acquainted with the following passage:—
"Sometimes Christ is depicted as Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, saw Him, namely on a hill, and under his feet as it were a work of sapphire, and a serene sky. And since, as St. Luke says, 'There they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory and majesty,' therefore sometimes Angels are painted surrounding Him, who ever serve and wait on Him, and they are depicted with six wings, according to the words of Essias, 'The seraphim were standing near Him, the one had six wings and the other six wings, and with twain they covered his face, with twain his feet, and with twain they did fly.' Angels are also depicted as in the flower of youth, for they never grow old, sometimes also the Archangel Michael is painted near them, treading the dragon under his feet, according to the words of St. John in the Apocalypse, 'There was war in Heaven, Michael fought with the dragon,' which war denotes a division between the angels, the establishment of the good, the ruin of the wicked, or in the visible church the persecution of the faithful. Sometimes also there are painted round about him the twenty-four elders, according to the visions of the same John, in white robes, and crowns of gold. Sometimes also are included in the paintings the living creatures according to the vision of Ezechiel, and the same John: 'On the right hand the likeness of a man, and that of a lion, and the likeness of an ox on the left, and that of an eagle over all the four.' These are the four Evangelists, wherefore they are painted with books at their feet. . . . Sometimes also there are painted round about, or rather underneath, the Apostles, having long hair like Nazarites. . . . Moreover the Divine Majesty is sometimes painted with a closed book in His hands, because no one was found worthy to open that book, except the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And sometimes He is painted with an open book, so that everyone may read in it, because He is the Light of the World, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the Book of Life."
Conochilus volvox.
The pond near Redditch which for nearly two years yielded a constant and abundant supply of this interesting and beautiful Rotifer, has for the last month or so, on each visit in search of it, been "drawn blank." It is a curious fact that the "sticks" discovered by the Rev. Lord S. G. Osborne, congregated near the centre of many of the colonies from this pond, and called by his Lordship, (vide letter to the English Mechanic of 1st March, 1878,) "rooks' nests," were for several months in the spring and early summer, when the containing Rotifers were abundant, rarely to be found either floating in the water, in the sediment, or attached to submerged plants. But now that the Conochili have disappeared the sticks are plentiful, both floating freely and entangled in
