THE SEA-SIDE NATURALIST 23 



be placed in small well-corked bottles, and temporarily preserved 

 in a little sea-water, or, preferably, a tuft of one of the delicate 

 weeds so common in our rock pools. Others, again, though they 

 may be larger, are of so fragile a nature that they should be 

 isolated from the general stock on that account alone. Instead of 

 bottles or tubes, small tin boxes may be used, and these have the 

 advantage of being unbreakable, though, of course, they will not 

 hold water. This, however, is of no consequence, as most marine 

 animals may be kept alive for some time in moist sea-weed quite 

 as well as in water. 



"When small animals are required for structural examination 

 only, they may be put into methylated spirit as they are taken, and 

 when stored in this way a much larger number may be put into 

 the same receptacle ; hence the collector will often find it con- 

 venient to have a small supply of this liquid while at his work. 



A strong pocket-knife is essential for sea-side work. It serves 

 to remove those molluscs that adhere firmly to the rocks by 

 suction, and also others that fix themselves by means of a byssus 

 of silken fibres, as is the case with mussels. It will also be 

 employed in the removal of acorn barnacles, anemones, and small 

 tufts of algae, and may be useful in cutting through the stouter 

 weeds. Small sponges and other low forms of life often form 

 incrustations on the solid rock, and may be peeled off with the aid 

 of a knife. In the case of the last-named, however, as well as with 

 the anemones and other fixed animals, it is often far more satis- 

 factory to remove a small portion of the rock itself with the 

 animal attached, and for this purpose a small hammer will be of 

 great service. 



A strong net of some kind is necessary in searching the rock 

 pools, and as suitable nets are, we believe, not to be obtained of 

 the dealers in naturalists' appliances, it devolves on one to manu- 

 facture a net according to his requirements. 



The simplest form of net may be made by bending a piece of 

 stout galvanised iron wire into the form here shown (fig. 14), and 

 firmly wedging the two straight ends in a short piece of strong 

 metal tube which will also serve as a ferrule for the attachment of 

 a tough handle. Such a circular frame although satisfactory for a 

 net to be used in fresh-water ponds and streams, is not nearly so 

 suitable for the irregular rocky pools to be met with on the sea 

 coast, for it will not enable one to search the numerous corners and 

 crevices into which many marine creatures will retire on being 



