FEBRUARY, 1882. 139 



our domestic arrangements had no especial affection for 

 starfish, webbed or otherwise. 



We had a share of the gale of Saturday last, and by 

 Sunday it had gone round to the N.W., with the result 

 that unexpectedly the lowest spring tide we have known 

 for years was experienced. Stretches of sea-bottom were 

 exposed to the vulgar gaze that had not seen the sky, 

 except through water, for an indefinite period. The 

 consequence of such a low tide, along with the severe 

 gale, was soon to be seen in masses of seaware along the 

 beaches, and among some of it we were surprised to 

 note quite heaps of skate eggs, looking so fresh that we 

 supposed them newly thrown on the neighbouring cairn. 

 On investigation, however, they were all empty, either 

 through the exit of the mature fish, or, as in some 

 instances, through having been devoured by some small 

 borer. As we strolled along it was remarkable to observe 

 how clean the beach was, the gale having thrown loose 

 all freely-growing seaware ; and we could well appreciate 

 the joke of our shrewd friend, who insisted that his 

 companion was so lazy he had not cut the seaware on 

 the foreshore allotted to him for so long, that when he 

 went to it, hook in hand, there was none to cut, the gales 

 having swept it all off and thrown it up on his neighbour's 

 beach. Suddenly, we came upon a long-necked shell- 

 fish, with its protruding black siphon tube, and imme- 

 diately thereafter we foundthese in heaps that would have 

 made barrow loads. Now this is an admirable shell-fish 

 to eat (Mya trnncata), and vast quantities of delicious 

 food was here being lost, but no one could help it. 

 They must have become so numerous on the sand that 

 this lost its coherence, and the dash of the waves at the 

 lowest of ebb had flung them all in helpless masses out 



