44 LOCH C RE RAN. 



all over, and now it has once more the appearance of an 

 ordinary, neat, ribbed cowrie. It has folded away its 

 cloak inside the shell. 



We have been promised a fine week among our home 

 weather prophets, but the big prophet at the door asserted 

 the contrary, for, with a northerly wind blowing for some 

 days we have had no tide to speak of, a sure sign of 

 unsettled weather. So last eve the little gulls, in a perfect 

 cloud of white wings, made their appearance again before 

 the door, swirling past on their way to the cairn in front ; 

 and these were soon followed by a steadily rising wind, 

 which blew a hard gale all night, and is still blustering 

 savagely, with all the proverbial severity of the " black 

 nor'easter." 



Yet last Sunday we had a pet summer day, such as we 

 have seen few of this year, and we walked down by the 

 sea shore to enjoy, the pleasure of looking into the placid 

 waters. There was an especial abundance of the purple 

 laver seaweed, looking more like a delicate film of oily 

 matter than a vegetable growth ; and despite the extreme 

 placidity there was a general feeling of life and motion 

 that we could not account for at first. Gradually the 

 eyes, as they scanned the depths, discovered the million 

 cirrhi of the barnacles in ceaseless motion, and working 

 with seemingly exceptional energy, for the long waving 

 fans were protruded to a great length, no doubt the 

 calmness and clearness of the water giving the creatures 

 the confidence to work thus, knowing they could more 

 readily catch sight of an enemy in such weather. The 

 effect altogether was very remarkable, and although we 

 have many a time watched the interesting creatures as 

 they swept their delicate branchlets from between their 



