SEASIDE BRISTLETAIL. 97 



quently discovered near the former, and this was ex- 

 tracted without injury. Its value, however, was far 

 inferior to that which the former would have pos- 



In the angles and crevices that occurred in the obscure 

 walls of the chasm, I found several colonies of that 

 curious insect the seaside bristletail (HacJiilis mari- 

 tima). It is interesting to observe the brilliant reful- 

 gence of metallic colour bestowed on a creature noc- 

 turnal in its season of general activity, and haunting 

 obscure recesses during the day. The insects of this 

 genus are clothed with minute scales, whose edges lap 

 over each other. In full-grown specimens of this 

 species the scales reflect prismatic colours, undistin- 

 guishable, indeed, into individual rays, yet producing a 

 combined effect of varied hues, very rich and lustrous. 

 In many specimens, especially those of younger age, 

 this colouring is much less conspicuous, or -altogether 

 lacking, being replaced by a dark iron-grey tint. The 

 scales, taken singly, form beautiful microscopic objects; 

 they bear the plosest resemblance in form, structure, 

 and markings, to those which cover the wings of 

 butterflies, and to which all the varied hues and pat- 

 terns of those lovely insects are owing. 



We returned from the Earthquake through the 

 Valley of the Punchbowl, the course of a little brook, 

 which originates near the middle of the island, and 

 forms there a pond of considerable expanse, and then 

 winds, half-concealed, through a spongy bog to the 

 edge of the cliffs. The smaller duckweed (Lemna 



G 



