222 



HARBWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



sand and mud which has washed in by the tide. By 

 detaching some of these mussels and examining 

 their muddy bed, we find numerous specimens of 

 the graceful little starfish Ophiura. The rocks here 

 are still composed of a sandy substance, and on 

 which (rocks left dry by the tide.) we find a bunch 

 of fucus, which is nearly entirely covered with the 

 cells of that large and handsome member of the 

 marine polyzoa, Malodactylus ; and we think 

 what a grand sight it would be if we could 

 see all the polypes expanded with the binocular 

 microscope, and with a dark ground illumination. 

 We notice here also, in a shallow pool, the arbores- 

 cent structure crowning the tube of the marine 

 annelid Terebella, just protruding from the sand, 

 and, crawling on the adjacent fucus, the little 

 orange-coloured winkle (Littorina Uttored). On the 

 side of a rock-pool not far removed, and growing iu 

 an eastern aspect, we find very young tufts of the 

 delicate feather-like seaweed Bryopsis plumosa, and 

 on the same side there is a perfect miniature forest 

 of the zoophyte Campanularia geuiculata. 



We introduce a small fragment of rock covered 

 with Campanularia into our zoophyte-trough. These 

 zoophytes really look lovely. Imagine a tree-like 

 structure, of crystalline transparency. At the sum- 

 mit of each brauchlet is a sort of cup, exquisitely 

 hyaline. This cup contains the body and mouth of 

 the polype, the latter situate in the centre, and 

 surrounded with numerous diverging tentacula, of 

 equal length and at equal distances from each other, 

 falling in graceful curves over this cup. The mouth 

 and tentacula can be both protruded and retracted 

 at the will of the polype. The latter are highly 

 sensitive, for we notice, whilst observing them in 

 the trough, that a small grain of sand falls upon one 

 of them. It immediately bends upwards, as if to 

 clutch the same. The mouths of most of the 

 polypes are inflated, and protrude from the cups. 



The life of the polype is seen to extend through 

 all the branches. The polypes themselves are equal 

 in beauty to the most exquisite flowers. 



Not far from the pool containing the zoophytes, 

 and in another of three feet in depth, we find the 

 long fronds of the seaweed Laminaria saccharina. 



We now (at 150 to 200 yards in a direct line from 

 the shore) arrive at some rocks which have a differ- 

 ent aspect. They are completely covered with balani 

 (Balanoidcs), in all stages of growth, from the tiny 

 young balanus of hardly the 1-S2nd of an inch in 

 diameter, to the full-grown individual. Not a frag- 

 ment of fucus grows upon these rocks. To reach 

 them we have to cross a wide gully, in which the 

 mussels are lying so closely together that we can- 

 not introduce the chisel to separate them. In this 

 gully wc find three huge specimens of the common 

 starfish ( JJ raster rubens), — one of a dull vermilion, 

 inclining to orange ; the next of a straw-colour, and 

 the last a variety (violacea) which measures at 



least eight inches from tip of one ray to that of the 

 opposite one. Its colour is a splendid reddish 

 violet. 



As we walk on to these rocks our footsteps cause 

 a loud hissing sound, which is continued into the 

 distance : it is caused by the crowds of balani, 

 which are shutting up closely, probably disturbed 

 by the vibrations given to the rocks by our approach. 

 Lots of white and yellow purpuras (Purpura lapillus) 

 are crawling about here, and their eggs are rather 

 plentifully distributed. We detach a group of the 

 latter ; the majority are of a very pale yellow colour, 

 but one or two (probably those which are most de- 

 veloped) are purple. Here we have also the white 

 sea-slug (Boris tuberculata) ; of zoophytes, the 

 large Tealia crassicornis, strawberry anemones 

 (Mesembryanthemum), Coryne pusilla, Sertularia 

 geuiculata, growing from the rock ; of polyzoa, the 

 yellowish spiral masses of the birdshead polype 

 (Bugula avicularia) and Boicerbanlcia imbricata; of 

 seaweeds we have small jtufts of Bryopsis plumosa. 

 In one pool there is quite a collection of various 

 moving shells ; they are tenanted by hermit crabs 

 (Pagurus Bemhardus). By turning over some large 

 flat stones, we find the handsome little crab Porcel- 

 lana platycheles. 



These rocks are raised above the sand (which 

 lies on the left) to the height of four feet ; there 

 are numerous little pools in them like craterlets. 

 It is .very convenient, whilst standing in a gully, 

 to bend over and peep into these. One of them, of 

 a foot in diameter, is covered with the zoophyte 

 Campanularia geniculata : even the shells of some 

 limpets which are crawling therein are covered. 



We are closely scrutinizing one of these little 

 pools when we hear, to our regret, the plash of the 

 returning sea. We therefore leap hastily from 

 these rocks to the sand, and retrace our steps, 

 determined, however, on the way back to examine 

 some of the overhanging ledges of rock which we 

 pass. After getting our bodies into the most awk- 

 ward positions, and our heads into those promoting 

 considerable congestion, our search is at length 

 rewarded by finding the fleshy-looking masses of 

 the splendid zoophytes Tubularia indivisa, from the 

 heads of which there is a constant trickling of sea- 

 water, as it percolates through the ledge under 

 which they are situate. Side by side are the mud- 

 coloured bunches of the polyzoa Anguinella palmala. 

 Situate between some of these bunches, and pro- 

 jecting, are the tubes of the annelids Sabellte, 

 from which the closed plumes of the worms (of a 

 reddish colour) just protrude. A little nearer to 

 the shore, and just peeping out of his short sym- 

 metrical tube (composed of tiny grains of sand 

 cemented together), which is half buried in the 

 sand, wc find the annelid Pectenaria, the comb-like 

 appendages to his head shining like gold ; we drop 

 him into our vasculum and walk on. Near to the 



