216 HIDDEN BEAUTIES OF NATURE 



sponge by silica or flinty matter, certain colouring 

 substances, such as oxides of metals, in solution in 

 the water, found their way into the sponge, and 

 produced the lovely tints revealed by the polishing. 



An examination of a case full of choanites in the 

 Brighton Museum ought to be enough to prompt any 

 one seeking a healthy pastime to at once decide 

 upon starting a collection of these most charming 

 objects. Hundreds, doubtless thousands, of these 

 lovely stones are being rolled about on several south 

 coast beaches, and may be discerned by any in- 

 dustrious seeker. 



That they are hidden beauties of Nature is appa- 

 rent to any one who is acquainted with them. The 

 wheel and the powder and all the accessories used 

 by the lapidary to cut and polish them, are necessary 

 in order to bring out their loveliness, reminding us of 

 some splendid characters we occasionally meet, whose 

 lives become more and more beautiful under the 

 chastening processes of trial and sorrow. 



But we must proceed with our journey towards 

 Dover. This is called Lydden Spout, a famous 

 place for flints. 



On opening this flint we find it is lined with a 

 translucent substance, which is intensely hard. This 

 is a pure variety of silica or flint, known as chalce- 

 dony. The two halves of the flint must be placed 

 side by side in the cabinet, to show their concavities. 



In the neighbourhood of Clifton Suspension 

 Bridge, the hollow stones are lined with another 



