Mr. Bennett on a peculiar Property of a Species of Echinus. 75 
occupies it, and so deep as to embrace more than two-thirds 
of the bulk of its animal inhabitant. They are large enough 
to admit of the animal rising in them a little, but not of its 
coming out easily; and their depth is in several considerably 
increased by the deposition, around their upper circumference, 
of a species of coralline several lines in thickness, and by a 
thin layer of which they are frequently lined throughout. In 
common with all the other species, the Echini inhabiting these 
cells have their mouths invariably downwards ; and they adhere 
by their numerous suckers so firmly to the lodgements they have 
formed, as to be forced, with extreme difficulty, from them 
when alive. : | 
« The coast of the county of Clare," Mr. Humphreys informs 
me, “ at Milltown Malbay, and indeed from the mouth of the 
Shannon northward to the islés of Arran, is without a harbour, 
and, except a few bays of fine sand, presents to the eye the most 
majestic cliffs. Wherever the rocks project into the sea, so as 
to form ledges accessible at low water, protected in front by 
higher rocks, and which are never left entirely dry, these ledges 
are perforated by the Echini; and I have seen thousands of 
them lying in these cavities side by side. The largest which I 
saw thus imbedded were about three inches in diameter ; and 
the few that I perceived out of their nid? were dead. All that I 
thus observed were of the same species. ‘The fishermen some- 
times take the common Echinus in their lobster-pots, but these 
are never lodged in the rock. I have been lately informed that 
they lodge in a similar manner in the rocks about Berehaven 
and Bantry in the west of our county (Cork), and I shall endea- 
vour to obtain further information respecting their habits from 
thence.” 
The animal whose interesting habits have formed the subject of 
L 2 the 
