352 Dr. R. Koehler on the Littoral Fauna of the 



island is doubled at low water, and the outlines of the island 

 are very different according to the period of the tide. Towards 

 the north the sea exposes a beach of much less extent and 

 sprinkled with rocks. 



Communication with the island of Herm is not easy, for 

 the strong currents which prevail around the island do not 

 allow the fishermen to sail there except in very favourable 

 weather ; the steam-boat service is not frequent and does not 

 always coincide with the times of low tide. The few excur- 

 sions which I made to Herm enabled me to ascertain that this 

 station was exceptionally ricli. I should like very much 

 to have stayed there for some days, but it is impossible to find 

 accommodation. 



At low water the western part of the island presents an 

 immense beach, formed of shell-sand, upon which rise some 

 rocks indicated on the charts by the names of Vermerette, 

 Her metier, and Hornet. In this beach live a great number 

 of species of animals belonging to very varied types, and of 

 which an abundant harvest may be collected by digging in the 

 sand with a spade. Towards the north-western region of the 

 island, in the vicinity of the Hornet rocks, stretch vast 

 meadows of Zosterw, wliich are continued to the north of the 

 island, where they give place to numerous rocks. We may 

 therefore distinguish three distinct regions, in each of which 

 the fauna presents a peculiar physiognomy. 



I. Shell- Sands. — These sands are composed of fragments 

 of shells, conveyed by the violent currents which prevail 

 around Herm, and thrown up by the sea upon the coast, 

 where they accumulate in considerable quantities. Similar 

 d(^bris are also met with at certain points on the east coast, 

 but do not give shelter to animals ', to make up for this the 

 shells are much better preserved than on the west coast, 

 for they are less rolled by the waves, and the conchologist 

 might in a short time collect a great number of interesting 

 forms. The shells which are most frequently found in the 

 shell-sand belong to the species indicated below. I give the 

 enumeration of these species, which really do not belong to 

 the fauna of Herm, since they are only dead remains, to show 

 the variety of specimens which may be collected in these 

 sands. 



