RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHAUSET. 



Inferior animals in the neighbourhood of Paris. — Granville. — The 

 tides. — The Archipelago of Chausey ; Grande-Ile. — Former 

 connexion of Chausey with the continent ; submarine forests. — 

 Local traditions. — The farm. — The natives of Blainville ; 

 Lobster and shrimp fishery. — The stone-cutters, — The barilla- 

 collectors ; fabrication of soda. — Importance of the study of the 

 more simply organised animals. — Zoological riches of Chausey. 



— The errant Annelids; Eunice; Cirrhatula. — Their weapons 

 of offence and defence ; their enemies. — The Synapta of Duvernoy. 



— Sentiments awakened by the study of animal life. — Departure 

 for St. Malo. 



I HAD spent the spring of 1841 in studying some of 

 the inferior forms of animal life which occur in the 

 environs of Paris.* In the course of these researches 

 I explored the ponds of Plessis-Piquet and Meudon, 

 the stagnant pools around Yincennes, the basins in 

 the gardens at Versailles, and even the ditches along 



* [M. de Quatrefages here inserts a note on the classification of 

 the animal kingdom, which, in consequence of its length, we have 

 transferred to the Appendix. See Appendix, Note I,] 

 VOL. I. B 



