Anglo-Norman Islands. 359 



little from that of Guernsey ; in the nortli the rocks are chiefly 

 granite and present some veins of syenite ; the south of the 

 island is principally formed of gneiss. 



SAUK. 



The little island of Sark is situated 7^ miles east of Guern- 

 sey and 11 miles from Jersey. A service of steam-boats runs 

 pretty regularly between Guernsey and Sark during the 

 season. 



The island of Sark is exceedingly curious and very remark- 

 able for truly imposing natural beauties. It is a rocky plateau, 

 formed of more or less decomposed syenite, porphyries, and 

 gneiss, with a mean altitude of about 130 feet, terminated on 

 all sides by abrupt coasts, presenting perpendicular cliffs 

 plunging down into the sea. The island consists of two 

 unequal portions, the whole presenting the form of a figure 

 of 8, as they are united by a very narrow isthmus called La 

 Couple. 



The coasts being very high, the sea, in retiring, leaves no 

 shores to be explored except some small beaches, such as 

 those of the Bay of Icart, Terrible Bay, and the Grande 

 Grfeve. According to the information that I have obtained 

 these beaches present only a few naked rocks and do not 

 shelter any animals, except perhaps a few Sea-Urchins. I 

 devoted all the visits I paid to the island of Sark to the 

 exploration of the Gouliot Caves ( Caverne Fregondee) , which 

 Ansted and Latham, in their book on the Channel Islands, 

 describe as a remarkably rich station as regards its fauna. 



These caves are situated on the western coast of the island 

 of Sark, opposite to a small uninhabited island, the island of 

 Brechou or Des Marchands, which is separated from Sark 

 only by a very narrow arm of the sea, called the Gouliot 

 {Goulet) ; opposite Brechou the island of Sark presents a 

 small peninsula, the Moye du Gouliot. The rocky mass 

 which forms the Moye is pierced throughout its thickness by 

 a wide excavation in the form of a tunnel, about 100 feet 

 long and from 50 to 70 feet high ; it runs almost exactly in 

 a north and south direction, and thus traverses the Moye du 

 Gouliot perpendicularly. This very picturesque cavern, much 

 larger than the others, is uncovered every tide and presents 

 nothing of interest to the zoologist ; its rocks are covered 

 only with Balani and dense tufts of Campanularia flexuosa. 

 The other caves, situated at a lower level, are exposed only 



25* 



