84 



LIFE BY THE SEASHORE. 



flat with a distinct median groove, and the worm is uniform 

 throughout its length, tapering towards the posterior end. 

 It is very distinctly ringed, each ring bearing a pair of 

 small lateral outgrowths, or parapodia, 

 which carry bristles. A worm exhibiting 

 these characters is pretty sure to be a 

 species of Nereis, and most probably N. 

 pelagica. Catch one or two of the largest 

 you can find, and place them in a bottle 

 with seaweed and clean water. They are 

 not easy to keep in confinement, and will 

 probably not live longer than a day or 

 two, but this is long enough to observe 

 some of the habits, the method of swim- 

 ming, and so forth. If it is not desired to 

 keep them alive, they may be killed at 

 once by dropping direct into methylated 

 spirit or formalin. 



After death, whether this be due to 

 natural causes or to artificial means, you 

 may proceed to your examination. This is 

 most easily done by making at once a 

 drawing of the animal, a practice which 

 should be the invariable rule. The very 

 act necessitates far closer observation than 

 is likely otherwise to be given; the relative 

 slowness of the process impresses the facts 

 firmly upon the memory; the drawing, 

 however rough, forms afterwards a most 

 FIG. 28. Nereis peia- valuable record of the work done ; and 

 OT^rostomiui^witti fi Iia U v > i n accordance with a familiar 

 its small feelers and psychological rule, the concentration of 

 peSmiumblfnd attention necessary to produce an ac- 

 it with four pairs of curate drawing will intensify a thousand- 

 cirri, but no feet. , , , , , , , . % . 



told the pleasure obtained irom your 



dissection. 



As to the details of the process, my own experience is 

 that an artist's sketching -block of small size, where the 

 sheets can be torn off as they are used, is more convenient 

 than a book. The sheets can be kept in a portfolio and 

 arranged in order there, whereas in a book it is virtually 



