20 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



" He seems very small." 



" Now he's shut up ; but if you had seen him ex- 

 panded — the size of a sugar-basin — superb white ten- 

 tacles round a scarlet-purple disc !" 



" Well, hand me the chisel." 



'' There ! Don't place it too near him ; give him 

 room — an inch all round. Not too hard ! Never mind 

 the toughness of the rock — clay-slate isn't made of 



butter ; but with patience and steady blows What ! 



you've rapped your knuckles instead of the chisel? 

 Well, it does fall out so sometimes. While you are 

 hammering, Til try elsewhere." 



Accordingly I am left stretched on a sloping ledge, 

 leaning into a j^ool of about a foot deep, where I have 

 to bang away at my chisel, not in the least seeing the 

 effect of my blows, for the crumbling of the rock has 

 made the water the colour of a London gutter. From 

 time to time I pull my chisel out, and feel with my 

 hand to ascertain progress. At last a piece of the rock 

 comes away, and I bring up the Anemone named 

 Crassicornis — a very ill-favoured gentleman, to judge 

 by his present aspect ; but I throw him into the jar of 

 sea-water, in full rehance on what he va^ be to-night 

 or to-morrow. He has cost me twenty minutes' hard 

 labour ; but he was worth it. 



If you are anxious to know why all this pains was 

 taken to chisel away the rock, you may learn a curious 

 fact — namely, that Anemones, like Achilles, are in- 

 vulnerable, except in one spot. They will bear an 

 extraordinary amount of cutting and tearing if you 



