160 Mr. J. G. Jeffreys on the Marine Testacea 



I had not before tasted sea-eggs, although this large and edible 

 kind is not uncommon on the Devonshire coast ; but, on being 

 persuaded by the men to do so, I certainly did not disapprove 

 of their taste. The only part which is eaten are the lobes at 

 the side. The flavour is peculiar and indescribable ; and I can 

 only compare it to something between an oyster and guava jelly. 

 The substance is pulpy, and appears to melt in the mouth. The 

 fishermen are very fond of all kinds of shell-fish, cuttles, and 

 Crustacea, the first of which they call " frutti di mare.^' 



Outside the Gulf is deep water ; but I was disappointed in my 

 dredging there. For several leagues seaward, in from fifteen to 

 fifty fathoms, I met with nothing but tenacious mud (which 

 my boatmen called "fango^^), with Turritella communis and a 

 curious variety of Calyptrcea sinensis, which moulded itself and 

 adhered to the last whorl of the Turritella. 



I found the heat much greater indoors than on the water, as 

 might have been expected. On the land it was seldom less than 

 78"^ Fahr. in the shade. The boat was furnished with the usual 

 awning, which extended over about two-thirds of it ; but this I 

 generally had taken down on reaching the dredging-ground to 

 facilitate operations, and the only inconvenience I felt was from 

 the perpendicular rays of the sun at noonday, which my " wide- 

 awake " scarcely warded ofi*. But in my room it was often very 

 uncomfortable, because I could not follow the usual custom of 

 closing the shutters and excluding all the sunlight, inasmuch as 

 1 should not in that case have had sufiicieut light to examine 

 the smaller and almost microscopic specimens ; but I was always 

 obliged to strip myself of my coat and waistcoat. This, with 

 the aid of the narrow streets and tall houses, gave me some 

 little relief. 



At Palmaria, the fishermen eke out their precarious livelihood 

 by extracting the " dati di mare " {Lithodomus dactylus) from the 

 limestone rocks which engird that island. This is done by 

 means of a crowbar ; and the fisherman is often several hours in 

 the water, up to his middle, breaking the rock in search of the 

 shell-fish, which he collects in a bag tied round his waist. This 

 molluscous luxury fetches on the spot no less than four francs 

 per hundred, and is sent by the steamers to Genoa and Leghorn. 

 At Porto Venere, which is situate on a promontory at the 

 western entrance of the Gulf, I observed a great many dealers in 

 this article ; the shell-fish being kept in pans of sea-water in 

 dark cupboards. It appears to be the only foreign trade pos- 

 sessed by that ancient Roman town, which is so full of archways 

 and picturesque ruins. It must not be imagined that a natu- 

 ralist only uses his eyes for his own proper objects. His soul, 

 " steeped in beauty '' by the continual contemplation of the 



