134 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLLSHIRE 



scallops ; and next, the curious bird's-foot sea- 

 star, like a five-sided orange fritter, the thinnest 

 and flattest of starfish, flexible, like a piece of 

 leather, and composed of a whitish membrane, 

 edged with red, like the webbed foot of a duck, 

 uniting five red rays which extend to its angles 

 from a centre of the same colour. 



I must merely roughly enumerate other objects 

 of interest, shells of many sorts and colours, 

 living and dead, from great clams to tiny cowries. 

 Red and transparent ascidians of various sizes and 

 shapes. Creeping things innumerable ; galateas 

 like tiny lobsters, and shrimps, prawns, and sand- 

 hoppers of varied hues. But the ducks are flying 

 in to feed, and I have had many warning hints 

 from the most sensible member of the party that 

 it is time we were turning home. The very last 

 haul of the dredge provides us with three more 

 specimens of the sea-rush, two of them so large 

 that they cannot go into any of our bottles, and 

 are triumphantly consigned to the large jar of sea 

 water which is destined to replenish the foot-tubs 

 which we have turned for the time into aquaria. 

 One is fourteen inches and a half long, and a 

 special tube has to be sent from London for its 

 transport ; but neither is perfect, and I plead in 

 vain for another turn, when perhaps the black 

 tulip, the four-leaved shamrock, may yet crown 

 our efforts. 



More prudent counsels prevail, especially as my 



