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among tbe Sca*»TIlrcb(n6. 



By Geo. Swainson, F.L.S. 

 Plate I. 



A MOST curious and antiquated little spot is the hamlet of 

 Cregneish, situated quite out of the world at the extreme 

 south-western portion of the Isle of Man, on the hills 

 overlooking the Calf of Man. We had sauntered up here from 

 Port Erin to view the reputed birth-place of Professor E. Forbes, 

 whose " Star-fishes and Sea-Urchins " is still the best descriptive 

 work relating to our native species, though written 50 years ago. 

 From this storm-battered, world-forsaken little spot in his young 

 days Forbes had opportunities of seeing Nature in some of her 

 grandest and wildest aspects, for not far away are two Druidical 

 stone circles, close to those wonderful fissures called " The 

 Chasms," some of which, from their great depth, the natives say, 

 are bottomless, while a short distance from the shore, 400 feet 

 below, stands the " Sugar Loaf ^' rock, rising upright from the sea, 

 and peopled by innumerable sea-gulls, etc. ; while to the right is 

 that majestic breast work — " Spanish Head,' where a number of 

 the ships of the Spanish Armada were battered to pieces by the 

 tempests there met with. So we can quite understand that the 

 thoughtful boy reared near such a spot should become fascinated 

 by the marvels of Nature displayed in such rich profusion around 

 the shores of his sea-girt home. We could only stay a few days 

 at Port Erin, but we were wishful to try a few of Professor 

 Romanes' experiments on Sea-Urchins in a living state, as these 

 creatures are to be found here in abundance, especially Echinus 

 sphcera ; the fishermen's cottages having them piled up, strij)ped 

 of their spines, but in all their splendid colours and markings, 

 offered for sale to the Manx tourists. 



Port Erin is a land-locked bay, which, in such beautiful 

 weather as we were favoured with, is a delightful spot to visit, 

 sheltered as it is on both sides with lofty headlands, while the 

 rocks at the foot of Bradda Head are prolific with all forms of 

 marine life. Some of our rarest specimens were taken with a 



