JANUARY, 1882. 12$ 



everywhere upon the rocks. The tangle seems never to 

 have ceased growing, and is a perfect forest of great 

 stems and magnificent fronds, and were it not that we 

 are seeking other treasures we could well spend the few 

 half-hours that the ocean can afford us on this rock in 

 studying the various capers of this vegetable growth. 

 Here is one fine stem that has actually coiled round upon 

 itself, and formed a granny knot, afterwards spiralling off 

 towards the frond in a remarkable manner, considering 

 the usually straightforward growth of this great seaweed 

 Fucus palmatus. Again, as we proceed, remarking upon 

 the quite exceptional character of such conduct the like 

 of which we have never before met, we come upon a 

 beautifully spiralled stem of Saccharinus, like a great 

 corkscrew. Only in such an ocean corner could similar 

 growths be found, for here the currents meet and fight, 

 and whirlpools swirl perpetually, and no doubt these 

 stems have received their youthful bias in some such 

 turmoil. We scramble over the rocks, and hunt the pools 

 deep with sand from broken shells, with quite childish 

 delight, so long have we been cornered and cabined 

 by the gales, but nothing except the hardiest growths 

 reward our exertions. Here and there a brilliant sun- 

 star is found by the edge of the water, strangely beautiful, 

 and with none ot the repugnant appearance of the equally 

 interesting and wonderful five fingers. Little five fingers 

 are all about, and as they appear curled up on some 

 object, the gazer cannot fail to corroborate the naturalist 

 who finds the sea-urchin is but a star-fish with its toes 

 together. The common doris is as numerous here as are 

 the big buckies, and both are spawning as vigorously as 

 in the heat of summer. The strangely and beautifully 

 spiralled spawn of the nudibranchs is, indeed, in masses 



