THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE 



the Laminariae, like fan-palms, droop and wave 

 gracefully in the retiring ripples, a great bowlder 

 which will serve our purpose. Its upper side is a 

 whole forest of sea-weeds, large and small; and that 

 forest, if you examined it closely, as full of inhabi- 

 tants as those of the Amazon or the Gambia. To 

 "beat" that dense cover would be an endless task; 

 but on the under side, where no sea-weeds grow, we 

 shall find full in view enough to occupy us till the 

 tide returns. 



Now the crowbar is well under it; heave, and with 

 a will ; and so, after five minutes' tugging, propping, 

 slipping, and splashing, the bowlder gradually tips 

 over, and we rush greedily upon the spoil. 



The first object which strikes the eye is probably 

 a group of milk-white slugs, from two to six inches 

 long, cuddling snugly together. You try to pull 

 them off, and find that they give you some trouble, 

 such a firm hold have the delicate white sucking 

 arms, which fringe each of their five edges. You 

 see at the head nothing but a yellow dimple; for 

 eating and breathing are suspended till the return 

 of tide; but once settled in a jar of salt water, each 

 will protrude a large chocolate-colored head, tipped 

 with a ring of ten feathery gills, looking very much 

 like a head of "curled kale," but of the loveliest 

 white and primrose; in the centre whereof lies 

 perdu a mouth with sturdy teeth if, indeed, they, 

 as well as the whole inside of the beast, have not 

 been lately got rid of, and what you see be not a mere 

 bag, without intestine or other organ: but only for 

 the time being. For hear it, worn-out epicures and 



