THE SEA-SLUGS. 249 



at every patch of spawn. One other point, the rocks at 

 your disposal may abound with some of the smaller and 

 more delicate forms, and yet you may be unable to find 

 a single specimen. It must be remembered that out of 

 water many of the sea-slugs collapse into a shapeless mass, 

 while in the water they may so closely resemble the coral- 

 lines or zoophytes among which they live as only to be 

 distinguished with great difficulty. I do not know any 

 more laborious task in shore hunting than crouching beside 

 densely fringed pools and searching every weed for the tiny 

 sea-slugs. I do not deny that the result is worth the 

 trouble when some delicately tinted beauty rewards the 

 search, but the trouble is not slight. However, storms are 

 often kind to the ardent collector, and will toss up frag- 

 ments of weed covered with zoophytes, among which many 

 a prize may be found. Such fragments are always worth 

 careful study, if found in the fresh condition. 



The first Opisthobranch we shall mention is the sea-hare 

 (Aplysia hybrida, see Fig. 71), an animal unfortunately rare 

 on the North-east Coast. I have found it between tide- 

 marks, but its habitat is among beds of weed in the 

 Laminarian zone, and especially among the blades of 

 Zostera that strange marine flowering plant which grows 

 at many parts of the coast, and is the favourite refuge of 

 many curious animals. The sea-hare is an animal of 

 singularly curious shape, with a characteristic smell, and a 

 habit of pouring out a purple dye when alarmed. Round 

 the animal and the dye many curious superstitions have 

 clustered, especially in the Mediterranean, where the sea- 

 hares grow to a large size, and have been known from 

 ancient times. Those who are accustomed to argue that the 

 wide distribution of a belief is a proof of its validity, will 

 find some difficulty in fitting the sea-hare into their 

 philosophy. The belief in its poisonous qualities is wide- 

 spread, both among the ancients and among modern 

 fishermen. Just as the gathering of poppies, or "thunder- 

 cups," is likely to be followed by an avenging thunderstorm, 

 so the foolish naturalist who wantonly handles the sea-hare 

 will be smitten by fell disease. As far as my own experience 

 goes, I may say that I think the one consequence is as likely 

 to follow as the other, for the sea-hare is a perfectly harmless 



