THE COASTS OF SICILY. 171 



as sheltering walls, within which the Molluscs, An- 

 nelids, and Crustaceans, whose habits lead them to 

 resort to the sea-washed beach, find commodious 

 retreats, that are impenetrable to all enemies save 

 naturalists. Indeed, I soon found reason to rejoice 

 at those inequalities of the ground which a few mo- 

 ments before I had so heartily denounced. My tin 

 boxes, tubes, and bottles, were soon filled to over- 

 flowing, and I hurried back to our common quarters, 

 where I was speedily joined by M. Edwards, who 

 had also returned laden with treasures. Poor M. 

 Blanchard alone came back empty-handed and in no 

 very good humour. Trusting to his geographical 

 charts and to the statements of travellers, he had 

 believed that there exists no real winter in these 

 favoured climes ; but in Sicily, as in France, nature 

 has her times of rest, and the insects which were 

 destined in a few weeks to fill the air with their 

 swarming myriads, were still slumbering within their 

 subterranean galleries, or in their silky wrappers, 

 in the larval and chrysalis state. 



Our companion was, however, soon consoled for 

 his own disappointment when he saw our well filled 

 bottles and basins. What mattered it, that one of 

 the three was unsuccessful, when the other two were 

 laden with booty ? Although we had come to Sicily 

 with very distinct plans of work, each one had it in 

 his power to double his time and his resources by 

 availing hmiself of the labours of his companions. 

 On our table lay side by side large specimens of the 

 Buccinum, which were peculiarly well adapted to 

 furnish materials for the researches which M. Blan- 



