NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 25 



low water mark. The tide pools are the haunts of many of the 

 species, and in these, they have to be looked for with considerable 

 care, as they often so much assimilate the tints of the pebbles at 

 the bottom, and the sea-weeds and sponges with which these are 

 clothed, that they are difficult of discovery. 



By clearing away the floating tangle off some of the smaller 

 holes and fissures, the most charming little grottoes are frequently 

 revealed, crowded with species of different hues; and where the 

 ground-work is studded with the tiny Conjnadis viridis, nothing 

 can be more lovely. In such cases, our greatest difficulty is to get 

 them dislodged without injury, as they mostly have their bases 

 insinuated into holes and crevices of the rock, and the least I 



violence causes them to contract and retreat deep into their 

 strongholds; in which case, the best means is to be provided with 

 a hammer and chisel, and carefully chip off the piece of rock to 

 which they adhere. Specimens procured in this way are more 

 likely to do well in the aquarium than those torn off by the base; 

 but when they are attached to the plane surface of the rock or 

 stone, they may be in most cases removed without much injury, 

 by gently inserting the nail of the finger under the adhering 

 base. When a little bit has been disengaged, the whole comes 

 away without much difficulty. The greatest danger is in using 

 too much violence. 



Those among gravelly shingle and on stones may be secured in' 

 the same way. Others are met with in soft muddy sand, and 

 frequently at low water; some of these sit loosely in the sand, and 

 are easily removed with the fingers. There is another, however, 

 not so easily captured, Cerianthus LloycUi, which exists not free in 

 the sand but in a long leathery tube, running down to the depth 

 of 18 or 20 inches or more. The animal itself, when contracted, 

 may not exceed 2 or 3 inches, and when elongated, may reach 

 from 5 to 7 inches. Those I have met with at Cumbrae were all 

 at a little beyond low water to a depth of from 4 to 10 inches 

 at spring tide. The summit of their tubes barely reaches the 

 surface of the sand, and their long maroon tapering tentacles lie 

 spread star-like over it; but upon the least concussion of the 

 ground, they are down out of sight in a moment. 



Gosse quotes the method taken by Mr Edwards of Menai 

 Bridge to capture this interesting species. He says, "The 

 operation of taking it is difficult, as on the least disturj»«3*p'"'^5wv^^ 



X ^y- — ^ ^'^ 



1^1^ ^^•"^ w 



