lower parts by a kind of ram art, broken by an opening resembling a Gothic port. Then, again, the short-leaved water plants, or the larger ones with their lacerated leaves and blossoms, interweaving their beautiful broad leaves with the fragile Alga, and slender reeds intermingled with the round spiral stern of the water-rose, peep forth from the smooth surface of its cerulean bed. The whole exhibits a picture of water scenery glowing with the most delicate shades of a lovely green.
A gentle current passes through the water of the lakelet, and by its soft touch produces a slight quiver in the grottoes and towers formed by the delicate tendrils of the Alga, while it almost imperceptihly moves the leaves of the water-plants, and gently causes their bright yellow blossoms to heave and sink under the surface, and all this is done so gradually and softly that at first it does not seem as if these tender plants made the slightest movement, while it only produces the slight tremor in the next moment more perceptible.
Thus delusion and reality powerfully affect the mind and eye; yet one is still more enchanted when a small fleecy cloud, rapidly gliding past the disc of the sun, produces a momentary shade, causing different refracted lights to break forth above, and especially below, the surface, so that the lovely texture of the Alga appears now distinctly, now veiled, and suddenly overshadowed, only more plainly displaying its dark outlines. Such a cloud has just passed over us, and the submarine vegetation again presents itself in all its verdant splendour. But more life than that of vegetation reigns under the smiling surface of the limpid brook. Yonder in the grotto formed by the dark-green Alga, two dark objects appear to move,—two shad-fish chasing each other in sprightly sport. Sometimes they approach the surface, then again sink, first swimming together and then behind each other, playing with their long beards. The free parts of the water are occupied by several striped sprats, which are as immovable as the large broad leaves, and only by the slight movement of their breast fins show that they are living creatures, only too well enjoying the broad sheet of clear water.
But what is that yellowish black-veined object yonder which seems half concealed by the stems of the reeds, and partly reclines on the tender web of the Alga? We strain our eyes to distinguish it more plainly. It is a water leguan, who is lying in wait for some of the finned inhabitants of the lakelet, to catch them up if they approach him too near. And between these sport the smaller animals, who lead quite a busy life, such as water-bees, and water-beetles, swimming up and down the pool. After having provided themselves with shining air bubbles, with sufficient air for their short submarine visit, they dive into the cool and refresh-
