In North Wales. 315 



reflect that jealousies and self- assertion are nothing 

 special to the Highlands or the Lowlands, but arise 

 wherever the stronger find reason to claim a superi- 

 ority which the weaker are unwilling to yield. It 

 should be remembered that such disputes, which 

 seem so ignoble when they occur among learned and 

 wise men, do not occur among them because they 

 are wise and learned, but because they are men. 



In 1877, Mr. and Mrs. Robertson made a very 

 pleasant expedition to Pwllheli, in North Wales, in 

 company with Dr. G. S. Brady and his family ; but, 

 partly owing to unfavourable weather, the natural 

 history results were not very great. There comes, 

 indeed, a time to most naturalists, when, in proportion 

 to their earlier successes and industry, the chances 

 diminish of their rinding numerous novelties. Yet 

 even here they procured a few living examples of the 

 shell Venus chione in the sand at low water, this 

 mollusk, according to Gwyn Jeffreys/not having been 

 hitherto known in a depth less than six fathoms. 

 On leaving Pwllheli the Robertsons stayed at 

 Porthdinlleyn, which was a more profitable locality, 

 and where they had, in the person of their landlord, 

 the services of a very intelligent boatman. They 

 admired his skill in hunting for crabs at low water. 

 He seemed to know all the holes they frequented, 

 and with his bare hands and arms would drag forth 

 either crabs or lobsters from their lurking-places with- 

 out the least fear. One of the evening excursions at 

 this place is thus described : 



"After sunset with the surface net. The night 

 was moderately calm and no moon. We row back 



