NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BELL ROCK. Ill 



Speculating as to the reason for so close attendance on the 

 o^a his nose being thrust into an orifice in the mass, his 

 mouth opening and shutting energetically, evidently forcing 

 a stream of water through the opening I carelessly dropped 

 a few whelks on his back. This mild form of bombardment 

 did not in the slightest disconcert him ; for, though they 

 struck and rolled off on either side, he appeared to take 

 no notice of them. Suddenly, a white whelk (not one of 

 those I had dropped) made its appearance on the outer 

 margin of the ova, and settled down with the apparent 

 intention of dining. This impertinence, however, was not 

 to be tolerated ; for, with a swirling rush that plainly 

 betokened anger, the red-coated sentry seized the offender 

 in his teeth and here follows the surprising part of it. 

 Instead of dropping the whelk to the bottom there and then, 

 as I expected, he mounted rapidly through the intervening 

 two feet of water, and when near the surface, to my astonish- 

 ment, spat the whelk almost into my face ! That his intention 

 was retaliatory I do not presume to say, but the action 

 certainly appeared an intelligent attempt to "return fire." 

 Since then, I have repeatedly seen them remove predatory 

 starfishes and whelks in a somewhat similar manner. 



The wheat-like ova of the white whelks is also largely 

 in evidence this month, though somewhat later than last 

 year. Exposed at every fall of the tide, it appears to require 

 no attention, each capsule, pendant or upright, firmly adhering 

 to the Rock surface by means of its flattened foot-stalk. The 

 whelks themselves appear in every conceivable corner where 

 food is to be found. 



A shallow pit cut into the Rock, measuring two feet by 

 one, and one foot deep originally the socket of the central 

 support of the beacon-house in which the workmen were 

 lodged during the construction of the lighthouse serves as a 

 receptacle for anything of interest we may pick up during 

 our rambles round the rocks. Fitted with a grated iron 

 cover, it was at one time used for the purpose of soaking 

 salt junk ; but, as every marine organism appeared to con- 



