34 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



geously-tinted Actinice, flowering at the base of many 

 a pool. I saw, besides, scores of Star-fishes, such as 

 the common Cross-fish (Uraster rubens), the purple 

 Sun-star (Solaster^ endecd), and many others, lying 

 apparently dead; so listless did they seem, among the 

 dense masses of Bladder-wrack that here grows so 

 profusely. There were many other sea-wonders then 

 new to me some wedged in secret crevices of rock, 

 and others lying in little pools. But what, most of 

 all, attracted my attention on this afternoon, was a 

 little object that I discovered on suddenly turning 

 over a piece of sandstone. I thought, at the time, 

 that it must be some species of marine spider, which 

 had, by some accident, been squeezed into a flattened 

 shape. On attempting to take it up with my fingers, 

 one of its legs snapped, and the animal dropped 

 down. I searched for another specimen, and having 

 found one, was, I imagined, handling it very tenderly, 

 when a similar fate befell it. Eesolved, after finding 

 a third, to exercise greater caution than ever, I thought 

 the most ingenious method would be to slide the blade 

 of my knife slowly under his body, which was about 

 the size of a pea. This contrivance, I was happy to 

 find, proved perfectly successful, and raising the little 

 creature, quite ininjured, I laid him gently upon a 

 clear frond of silky Ulva, to examine my prize through 

 a pocket-lens. I was greatly interested in the stranger, 

 and carried him carefully home. I placed him, of 

 course, in my Aquarium; but, although he crawled 

 about for a while apparently at home, he grew sud- 



