IV.] INTRODUCTION. Ixxvii 



sects, or plants. The same rule would, in all probability, 

 hold good in the case of researches for Natural-history 

 purposes on those parts of the sea-shore which lie be- 

 tween high and low-water mark, and especially if they 

 were made exclusively in the pursuit of science and not 

 for commercial gain. In a seigniory or honour, com- 

 prising several manors, which has an extensive frontage 

 to the sea, on the coast of Gower in South Wales, the 

 lord is entitled to receive small annual sums, varying 

 from sixpence to half-a-crown, by way of acknowledg- 

 ment of his rights, for the privilege of gathering cockles, 

 mussels, lobsters, and crabs, as well as ore-weed or wrack 

 which is used as manure in that part of the country ; 

 and distinct licenses are granted for these privileges. 

 With respect to the vast tracts of the sea-bottom which 

 extend beyond the low-water mark of spring tides, the 

 right of the public to explore them with the dredge or 

 any other device for scientific purposes has never yet been 

 questioned. Even in France, where the garde-marine 

 have strict orders not to allow any net or similar imple- 

 ment to be on board of a vessel or boat on that coast 

 when oysters are out of season, I have found no difficulty 

 in obtaining the requisite permission to use my dredge, and 

 it was granted readily and vrith the utmost courtesy. 



In a commercial point of view, British shells do not 

 fetch high prices, compared with what is given by col- 

 lectors for some exotic rarities. The late Dr. Turton 

 stated, in his useful but unsystematic little book called 

 ' A Conchological Dictionary of the British Islands,^ 

 that a complete collection of our native shells had 

 been estimated to be worth its weight in silver. This 

 was certainly a singular mode of valuing such property, 

 considering that many of our minute shells, which are so 

 light that hundreds of them would scarcely balance the 



