34 LIFE BY THE SEASHORE. 



When practice of this kind has rendered the commonest 

 forms familiar, it is time enough to begin serious collecting. 

 In the following chapters we shall consider the animals of 

 the shore according to their systematic position, proceeding 

 from the simpler forms to the more complex. This method 

 has many advantages from the point of view of the ana- 

 tomist, and is convenient for reference, but the novice when 

 working with actual specimens will find detailed identifica- 

 tions much more difficult in the case of simple forms like 

 Sponges than in the more complex Crustacea, for example, 

 which are comparatively easy to study. The shore crabs, 

 indeed, make a good starting-point, for they are easily found, 

 easily named, make in many cases most interesting and 

 intelligent pets, and can be very readily studied. As, further, 

 they all periodically cast their coats, and these coats which 

 are an exact replica of the crab are always to be found on 

 the beach, they are admirably suited to persons with humani- 

 tarian tendencies. 



One other point deserves some notice. Very many people 

 are afraid to handle almost any shore animal, because of a 

 general conviction that all bite or sting. They may be 

 reassured by learning that in our seas there are very few 

 dangerous animals indeed. Apart from the true stinging- 

 fish, or weever, there are one or two shallow-water fish, such 

 as the sea-scorpions (Cottus), which are furnished with spines 

 strong enough to wound an incautious hand. It is perhaps 

 as well, therefore, not to handle living fish freely till you 

 know something about them. Again, the very large jelly- 

 fish which are sometimes to be found in the pools in autumn, 

 especially those of the West Coast, can sting pretty severely, 

 but with these exceptions almost any animal on the shore 

 can be handled with impunity. It is of course obvious that 

 the large Crustacea should be treated with discretion, for 

 many of them can give a pretty sharp nip ; but the wide- 

 spread fear of being "stung" is quite unjustifiable except 

 in the case of the big jelly-fish and the weever. 



Finally, we may note that a tide-table is an important 

 part of the equipment for serious work. This may be 

 obtained either from a Nautical Almanack, or from most of 

 the newspapers published in maritime towns. Collecting is 

 most likely to be successful during spring tides, and should 



