236 



If it be desired to bring the specimens to London and to keep them alive 

 there, the aquarium must be prepared before starting. It should be got 

 ready a month beforehand. If no growing weeds are to be had, put some 

 ordinary sea water in a glass jar and stand it in the sun for two or three 

 weeks, when enough germs will have been deposited to keep the water sweet 

 and be quite ready for stocking on the collector's return. Move it out of the 

 sunlight into permanent shade before putting in living animals. 



Having reached the place, it is very desirable to live as near the collecting 

 ground as possible, so as to run in and out without loss of time, and examine 

 the specimens in the best condition. It is not of any use to collect a mass 

 of things which cannot be examined. The way to get good objects and good 

 observations is to go out for short periods at the best of the tide, bring home 

 a small quantity, and examine immediately whilst in vigorous life. 



The collector should remember that, if carelessly pursued, shore collecting 

 becomes dangerous, and these dangers he must avoid. The principal ones 

 are — 1, being caught by the tide ; 2, being washed off the rocks by large 

 waves; 3, falling on the rocks. 



Being caught by the tide may happen in several ways. Some of the most 

 common are the following, viz. :— 1. when collecting in a crescent bay with 

 inaccessible cliffs, the tide may creep up unobserved round the head- 

 ands which form the ends of the bay ; the collector should observe before- 

 hand whether these headlands can be passed at all states of the tide ; if not, 

 whether the cliffs can be scaled ; otherwise he must leave ample time to pass 

 the headland before the tide comes: — 2, on collecting on the furthest out un- 

 covered rocks, the belt of water between them and nearer rocks, which 

 was easily crossed when he came out, may have become too wide to step or 

 even to jump, and the rocks may be too slippery or otherwise unsuitable for 

 the latter process : — 3, the tide will sometimes rise very slowly up a steep part 

 of the beach, and then run very rapidly along a flat part. Large waves must 

 be avoided by not collecting where they reach and it should be remembered 

 that on many ocean coasts single exceptionally large waves occasionally 

 un in during the ebb tide, particularly when the wind far out is rising, 

 although there may not be any wind near shore. 



Falling on the rocks can only be avoided by careful climbing, and by not 

 being in a hurry. It is best for two persons to go together, as one alone, if 

 he sprain his ankle, or have some trifling accident, may be helpless, and not 

 able to get assistance. 



A hint or two on the climber's art may be of service. It is necessary to 

 be a fairly good climber to collect with success. Do not take a stick, unless 

 for fishing in pools. Do not trust to a stick in descending steep places, the 

 stick is apt to slip and let the traveller down on his head. It is better to 

 trust the well-balanced position of the body. 



In descending steep ocky cliffs, choose the narrowest split in the rock 

 that will serve, not the larger ones. Almost every inexperienced person 

 chooses the larger split but he is not so likely to slip in the smaller one. It 

 is often e:isy to get up apparently inaccessible rocks by the old Alpine 

 method, doubling the elbows, laying the doubled arms flat on the top of the 



