36 A MANUAL 



with red and orange, and always studded with large 

 white or opal tubercles or warts, but the colour of 

 the disk and tentacles — i. e. of the expanded bloom, 

 — is infinite in its changes : russet-green, crimson 

 and white, red and orange, heather- tinted, dove- 

 colour and lake, — every possible gradation of these 

 and every other colour, though I can't say I ever 

 saw a blue sea-anemone, which is as great a deside- 

 ratum as a blue dahlia. 



Having arrived at the extremity of the point, and 

 at the lowest level of the lowest tide, we will set our 

 crowbar to work. Here is a large rock, well sheltered 

 from the Atlantic swell, well covered with coralline 

 and sea-weed, and well situated in the midst of a 

 large pool, so that its base is always under water in 

 all weathers. Now, heave and with a will ! Over it 

 rolls ! Away rush half-a-dozen bull-heads, and a 

 young conger, viciously writhing, and lashing his 

 tail as though he would do us a mischief if he could ; 

 and only look at the crabs ! Let us pick up that 

 flat, hairy, dingy little rascal : he is a curiosity, by 

 name platycheles, or " the broad-clawed," and very 

 broad his claws are, for the pair of them side by side 

 would more than cover his whole body : he is of a 

 rather sulky disposition, — a little crabbed, we should 

 say, if it wasn't for the apparent pun, — but he will 

 lie harmlessly enough with our anemones when we 

 get him home. Here is a pink button sticking to 

 the stone, streaked with vertical lines of small opal 



