216 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



and I really must get home now, content with my 

 day's work. One farewell glance in at that pool, and 

 I have done. Lying on my face, and dangling my 

 feet in water, I peer scrutinisingiy for some minutes, 

 and bear off a lovely green Adceon as a rew^ard. (The 

 Actseon resembles an Eolis without the papillae.) 

 Now I will turn homewards. 



Another day, in idler mood, we ramble along the 

 shore in receipt of windfalls. A bottle is always ready 

 in the pocket, and something is certain to turn up. 

 The stem and root of that oar-weed, for example, is 

 worth an investigating glance, certain as it is of being 

 a colony of life. The tiny Annelids, white, green, and 

 red, wriggle in and out among the sheltering shadows 

 of these roots ; the Sponges and Polyzoa cluster on 

 th-em ; and see ! what pink-and- white feathery creature 

 is this, clasping the weed with a circle of pale pink 

 roots ? By heavens ! it is a Comatula (Plate VI., 

 fig. 2) ; and now that it feels the grateful sea-water 

 again, how it expands its feathers, and reveals itself 

 as an animal fern, marvellous to look upon. Sudden 

 joy leaps in our hearts at the sight of this creature, 

 hitherto known only from hazy descriptions and in- 

 adequate engravings. There is interest in reading 

 about Crinoidea, fossil and recent, and in learning that 

 the Comatula is one of these, having kindred with 

 starfishes ; but how that interest is intensified by 

 direct inspection of the living animal ! I could not 

 satiate myself with looking at my prize.* All the 



^* J -have since had several, but utterly inferior in colour and grace 

 to this, the first I ever saw. 



