66 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



CHAP. II. 



THE ARCHIPELAGO OF BREHAT. 



Journey from Paris to Paimpol. — The Archipelago of Brchat. — Its 

 geological structure. — Ruins on some of the inhabited islands. — 

 Grande- He. — Le Paon. — Population ; probable admixture of 

 Basque and Breton blood. — Mildness of the climate. — The 

 terrestrial Fauna ; the Black Rat. — The maritime Fauna. — The 

 animal series. — Ideal and derivative types. — Relations of or- 

 ganised beings to one another. — General ideal type of a perfect 

 animal. — Division of physiological labour. — Higher and lower 

 animals : organic permanence of the former ; organic variability 

 of the latter. — Subdivision of the Articulata. — True Annelids or 

 Worms. — Tubicolous Annelids ; Chloroema ; Amphicora ; Tere- 

 bella ; Sabella. — Errant Annelids ; Chsetopterus ; Echiurus ; 

 Sipunculus ; Dujardinia. — Anatomy of Eunice sanguinea. — 

 Doyerina ; Aphlebina. — Organisation of Nemertes ; remarkable 

 simplification. — Excursion to the lighthouse of Hehaux, — Descrip- 

 tion of the tower. — Illuminating apparatus. — Historical notices : 

 Borda, Lemoine, Buffon, Arago, Fresnel, the younger Fran§ois. — 

 Departure from Brehat. 



I HAD left the Archipelago of Chausey and the 

 harbour of St. Malo, firmly resolved, some day or 

 other, to revisit the shores of Brittany. The four 

 months which I had spent in earnest research had 

 indeed familiarised me with the zoological riches 

 of its sandy coast, and its granite-guarded creeks 

 and bays ; but the profound study of even the 

 smallest animal demands prolonged and assiduous 

 investigation. Much had been left undone on my 



