HARDWJCKE'S S C [EK G E-GOb SIP. 



81 



new to me, aud differed eclirely from those com- 

 monly found on tlie Hastings coast. Above us 

 hovered large numbers of seagulls aud other l)irds ; 

 while sand-larks skimmed along the surface. Con- 

 tinuing our walk for about live miles, we reached the 

 most primitive " hotel " I have ever had the privilege 

 of visiting, the " Britannia," kept by W. Lawrence, 

 a fisherman. But although most primitive, it was 

 clean and tidy — two very essential points as far as 

 comfort is concerned; and I can conscientiously 

 recommend it to all who do not object to early 

 English manners. It is a low, black house, with a 

 few sheds of similar colour round it, aud, as all 

 houses in that locality must necessarily be, is built 

 on the beach, a small piece of which, about thirty 

 feet by fifteen, is railed off and sprinkled with earth 

 to constitute a garden. The inliabiLants are in 

 happy, or rather unhappy, ignorance of the post- 

 man's rap or the milkmaid's cry, milk being a 

 luxury there unknown. The butcher pays them a 

 visit once a week. To enable the natives to walk 

 over the beach, ihey attach pieces of board to their 

 boots in the manner of snow-shoes. 



A minute account of the lighthouse being 

 unsuitable for this journal, I will pass it with but a 

 brief description. The building is of brick over 

 100ft. high, aud is illuminated by the electriclight, 

 generated by two large electro-magnetic machines. 



Fig. 51. Maclra stultorvm. 



driven by means of a steam-engine ; the light is 

 stationary, and appears white out at sea, while on 

 and near shore it is red, thus warning the sailor 

 when he is too close to land ; notwithstanding which 

 precaution, numerous vessels run aground. Even 

 the night we were there, a large steamer was 

 stranded nearly opposite our " hotel ;" but being 

 smooth water, it got off next tide ; but remains of 

 ill-fated ships are visible on all sides, the wreck of 

 the Morning Star being particularly conspicuous, 

 aud that of the Spindrift jifi'ording topic for much 

 conversation. In front of the lighthouse there is a 

 large horn, blown by machinery in foggy weather 

 and around the babe of the lighthouse cluster the 

 habitations of the light-keepers and their families. 



The next day we continued our circuit round the 

 west side of the Kes^^, to the old Cinque-port of 



Rye, eleven miles distant. Being assured by our 

 host that in the afternoon we should have sand, we 

 waited till two before we started, and then struck 

 across the headland for about a mile, thus cutting 

 off the extreme point. The vegetation on the part 

 we crossed was comparatively luxuriant, aud we 

 noticed several varieties of plants growing between 

 the stones and stunted grass. There is little doubt 

 that a great part of the land, now beach, will soou 

 be covered with luxuriant vegetation ; but even at 

 the present time I am quite sure that a visit to 

 Dungeucss would amply repay a botanist, 

 conchologist, entomologist, or almost any other 

 ologist, who should think it worth while to undergo 

 a little fatigue. 



TYhen we reached the sea-shore, we were wofully 

 disappointed : the tide was full — no sign of sand ; 

 but we made the best of the matter, and set of for 

 our walk of eleven miles. Strewn over the beach 

 was a rich harvest, especially for the microscopist : 

 would tliat I could have devoted time to it, but 

 unfortunately, havingexpected sand instead of beach, 

 we had now to hasten forward to catch the train. 

 On our way we passed many varieties of sea-weed, 

 for the most part, however, dried up by the sun, the 

 water that day not having reached its usual height ; 

 but a ridge traceable along the whole beach 

 told of a glorious tide for treasure-seekers having 

 taken place a few days previously. Numbers of 

 sea-urchins, with spines complete, sea-mice, several 

 varielies of sponges, dead-men's-thumbs {Alcyonium 

 digitatum), and especially vast numbers of Madra 

 stultorinn, many razor-shells and several spataugi. 



Having traversed about nine miles of beach» 

 the sand, to our great relief, began to appear, so 

 in due time we reached Rye, and returned to 

 civilized life. A. E. M. 



THE PATHOLOGY OP PEARLS. . 



IN a recent number of the Journal of the Linnsean 

 Society are some interesting remarks by Mr. 

 Garner, P.L.S., "On the Formation of British Pearls 

 and their possible Improvement." Every one is aware 

 that an oyster or a mussel, as the case may be, when 

 irritated by a foreign body, is reduced to the necessity 

 of toning down the annoyance of theintruder by shed- 

 ding around it, through the agency of its "mantle," 

 layer after layer of lovely "nucre," or mother-of-pearl. 

 Such is the origin of those pearly concretions which 

 may be found adherent to the inside of the shells of 

 the above-named molluscs. The rounder and more 

 valued pearls are said to be formed in the soft parts 

 only of the animul, of which a good example may be 

 seen in the educational series in the Museum of the 

 Royal College of Surgeons, in the shape of a round 

 pearl imbedded in the foot of a 2mio, or a fresh- 

 water pearl-mussel. Mr. Garner has found reason 



