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HA RD WI CKE'S S CIE NCE- G O SSI P. 



to, and completely covering, the shell inhabited by 

 the large and powerful purple hermit crab [Pagiinis 

 Prideaiixii). 



The filaments above mentioned are the " acontia," 

 which the cloaklet has thrown out, on finding itself 

 removed from its natural element. 



Place it in a glass jar of sea-water and allow to 

 rest. In a few minutes the "acontia" will be with- 

 drawn through the minute apertures or " cinclides " in 

 the body of the anemone, and the crown of beautiful 

 white tentacles will be protruded. At the same time 

 the crab puts out its head and expands its antennre, 

 when we can admire its rich purple colouring, and 

 contrast it with its less beautiful ally, the common 

 brown hermit crab. 



That these two creatures, so widely separated in 

 the animal kingdom, and surely so opposed to one 

 another in habits, should so invariably be found in 

 association with one another, is, indeed, a wonderful 

 fact ; and that the permanent separation of the two 

 animals means certain death to both, is alike wonder- 

 ful. That this is so, I can testify from my own 

 observation. 



Among the sand and debris, we notice some 

 cylindrical rod-like tubes composed of grains of sand, 

 little pebbles, small shells, &c. These are the 

 dwelling houses of that most complex annelide, the 

 terebella. In some of the tubes the perfect animal 

 is to be found. 



This, when placed in water, unfolds before our eyes 

 its delicate pink tentacles and branchite, the latter 

 more deeply pigmented, from the contained respira- 

 tory or pseudohffimal fluid. That these terebelloe, 

 as it were, grow perpendicularly out of the sand, is, I 

 think, manifest, from the cluster of little roots with 

 which the bottoms of their tubes are provided. 



We have here other specimens of the Tubicola in 

 the Scrpjila contoi'tupUcata, and Spirorbis conwmnis. 

 These we find adhering to those stones and shells, 

 and with a mass of barnacles {Balaiuis balauoidcs) to 

 the back of that veteran old crab. The blue and 

 green iridescent worm crawling and twining itself 

 about in the net, we recognise as one of the sea 

 centipedes (Nereis) ; and here is a smaller brown 

 species of the same genus, the pearly nereis (Nereis 

 margaritacea). Clinging to the stones, are a good 

 many little red, brown, and speckled Chitonidai 

 (Chihv! ruber and Chiton ciiicrcus). 



In throwing overboard the debris, care must be 

 taken not to loose those little yellow straws, attached 

 to the shell of that pretty little scallop (Pecten). 

 They look insignificant, but are in reality specimens 

 of the Tubidaria indivisa, a member of the order 

 Corynida. The small red filament protruding from 

 the end of the straw-like tube, will, when placed in 

 water, expand into a beautiful disc surrounded by 

 tentacles. 



There are very few young naturalists, I imagine, who 

 have seen this little organism in the living condition. 



It is, I think, only to be obtained at considerable 

 depths, by means of the dredge. 



We have here, among many other specimens, one 

 or two spiny spider crabs {Maia sqiiiiiadd) ; the 

 Torbay bonnet [Fileopsis IPungaricits) ; a frond of a 

 species of delicate white sponge, and one or two 

 little shrimp-like crustaceans, of the genus Arcturus. 

 These crustaceans are rather rare. I have obtained 

 them also in the Holy Loch. 



Those pearly white tusk-like shells are not to be 

 mistaken for Tubicola, which they somewhat re- 

 semble. They are specimens of the tusk shell 

 {Dentalium entalis), a species of gasteropoda. 



The animals now considered, are, I think, a few of 

 those most commonly met with along the north coast 

 of the Frith. 



Sand stars and brittle stars seem to be very widely 

 distributed over the whole Frith of Clyde. Off 

 Snellan, especially, they exist in enormous numbers. 

 I have there brought up my net literally living with 

 them. 



The beautiful Holy Loch as a field for dredging is 

 very poor. The bottom there seems to be almost 

 entirely composed of a thin muddy sand, in which the 

 dredge sinks, and is at once clogged up. In this are 

 to be found the thick leathery tubes of that genus of 

 Tubicolous annelide, the Sabellidce. 



In the shallows at the head of the loch, one often 

 finds the pipe fish (Syngnathus). Here also I have 

 seen several hermit crabs, to the shells of which 

 colonies of little pink " polypites " were attached, 

 resembling somewhat in appearance pink plush velvet. 

 As to the exact nature of these organisms, I am not 

 quite certain whether they were Polyzoa or Hy- 

 drozoa. 



However, I have used the term " polypite," as it is 

 more than probable that they belong to the latter 

 class, owing to the circumstance that a few little 

 medusiform gonophores were to be discovered by a 

 low power of the microscope in the water in which I 

 had preserved them. 



On the south side of the Frith, opposite the Clocli 

 Lighthouse, beautiful large specimens of the dead 

 man's fingers (Akyoiiiinn digitatum) maybe obtained. 

 Here also we find the twelve-rayed sun star {Solaster 

 nibcns), and varieties of spongida, &c. 



As we pass down the Frith, the marine fiuna 

 becomes more varied and abundant. 



Brodick and Lamlash Bays on the east coast of the 

 Island of Arran, are probably the most fruitful of all 

 the dredging grounds in that neighbourhood. Here, 

 among crustaceans, the hermit crab, spiny spider, 

 nut crab, olive and red squat lobster crabs (Galathca 

 S(] 11 a III if era and 7texa) abound. Beautiful sea urchins, 

 ranging through all tints of colour, from purple to 

 almost pure white. 



Among many others, I would simply mention : 

 the purple (Purpura) ; numerous varieties of tops 

 (Trochus) and Patellae ; the sea cucumber (Holo- 



I 



