THE STUDY OP SHORE ANIMALS. 23 



or bottles, and arriving at the rocks proceeds to transfer into 

 these all the animals and pretty pieces of weed which catch 

 his eye. On returning home the spoil is placed in some 

 corner until the weary traveller is rested, is then forgotten, 

 and remains neglected until it ceases to be an object of 

 delight, and is finally thrown out by the irate housemaid, 

 the net result to all concerned being usually an impression 

 that the study of marine zoology is associated with odours 

 of a powerful and unpleasing nature. It is impossible to 

 speak too strongly of that collecting instinct which leads 

 people to gather together all that they see, regardless of the 

 fact that they are leaving the world poorer for their neigh- 

 bours. Wherefore I would beseech the would-be naturalist 

 to think always of him that follows after. 



If the mere accumulation of specimens be discouraged, 

 the question of how to begin remains unsettled; the oft- 

 repeated advice to study the habits of animals, like many 

 similar pieces of advice, not being of great practical value. 

 The way which is likely to lead in the long run to the best 

 results is probably to attempt first to acquire some know- 

 ledge of the commonest forms, and then later to utilise the 

 powers of observation which have been trained in this way 

 in a search for rarities. A detailed study of internal anatomy 

 is in most cases very difficult for those without previous 

 training, but a knowledge of external form is not to be 

 despised, and is readily acquired. 



For example, any rocks will probably exhibit even to the 

 most casual observer such animals as limpets, crabs, and 

 various kinds of shrimps. Take the limpets first. The 

 most abundant form will be the common limpet (Patella 

 vulgata), but in Scotland or the North of England the tor- 

 toise-shell limpet (Acmcea testudinalis) is almost as common. 

 Far out on the rocks the transparent limpet (Helcion 

 pelluddum) will be found creeping over the great fronds 

 of oar-weed, and so on; the list might be extended to 

 considerable length, according to the locality. Now there 

 can be no better exercise, or more fitting introduction to 

 zoological study, than to choose two or more of these forms, 

 and study them until they can be recognised at a glance. 

 This may seem an easy task, but experience shows that it 

 is not so. At one time, when making some observations 



