THE LONG-TONGUED MEDUSA. 79 



unmitigated surf. There were, however, on the per- 

 pendicular and overhanging sides of the blocks, a few 

 tufts of that peculiarly beautiful, silky, bright-green 

 Conferva, Cladopliora gracilis ^ and one or two of 

 the equally lovely, crimson-pencilled CalUthammon 

 corymhosum. Troclius crassus^ a rather rare shell, 

 was adhering to the rocks. 



Here I found myself once more among my favour- 

 ites, the charming little Naked-eyed Medusae. It 

 was nearly high-tide, and the sea had the brilliant 

 crystalline clearness of spring-water: though, on 

 minute examination, it was seen to hold in suspension 

 millions of filmy bodies, the exuvi^ of the countless 

 acorn-barnacles (Balanus), that stud the lower rocks. 

 Standing on the huge angular blocks, I dipped with 

 a ring-net at the end of a staff, and up came several 

 balls of clear jelly, which when turned into a glass 

 jar of water proved to be fine specimens of Sarsia 

 tuhulosa. Again and again the net went down, and 

 at every plunge brought up more of the same species, 

 which could be distinctly seen, on bringing the eye 

 nearer to the water, playing by scores in the sea, 

 almost wherever I looked. 



Another species not less interesting, BougainviUcEa 

 Britannica, accompanied the Sarsice, but not in any 

 considerable numbers ; and there were a few of that 

 lovely animated crystal globe, Cydippe pomiformis, 

 and a small Thaumantias or two, and many of those 

 curious, slender, fish-shaped animalcules, named Sa- 

 gitta^ some of them twice as large as those I had seen 

 at Ilfracombe, but apparently of the same species. 

 A week or two later than this, namely at the end of 



