OCTOBER, 1881. 67 



tide rises. But the rope declined to stand the strain of 

 the waterlogged and water-filled box, and it returned with 

 a tilt to the bottom. So a fresh day saw us with a new 

 manila rope, a very low tide, a peaceful sea, and fresh 

 sinews, with the needful appliances for reaching the 

 breeding apparatus that had for months been lying 

 fathoms deep. The boat is anchored, the ropes, after 

 long manipulation, affixed to the mass, and we are on 

 the point of bearing on the anchor when we observe a 

 slow ungainly motion, a dark, stealthy figure among 

 the sea-ware, and then a show of white as it turns up its 

 wing. A skate, close at hand too. This was too much 

 to let pass ; so the boat is slewed round as far as the ropes 

 will permit, the split handle of the iron graip brought to 

 bear, and a bold thrust and a dexterous toss sends a deli- 

 cate thornback into the boat. 



Once more we tackle our object, and with toil 

 and labour draw it shoreward. What will have 

 settled upon it during these months we seek eagerly 

 to know, that some idea of the seasons in which 

 the young of marine creatures are thrown may be 

 obtained ; for no subject is more difficult, or absurd to 

 dogmatise upon, seeing the seasons may be more than 

 one, and are frequently very extended, while the varia- 

 tion of temperature doubtless affects marine creatures to 

 as important an extent as those on shore. Here, at -any 

 rate, are a vast number of ascidians of various species, 

 many of them very well grown indeed ; several pectens of 

 larger growth than we should have anticipated in the few 

 months the box has been in the water, several purple sea- 

 weeds in many individual bunches, and a patch of 

 serpulae of quite recent attachment, showing they are late 

 of spatting this year, as last. We are glancing hurriedly 



