Biol. 



PREFACE. 



THE object in compiling the following pages has 

 been to render the sea- side visit (now almost an 

 annual occurrence to most people) more interesting 

 and instructive. Nearly all the creatures described 

 are obtainable by the student at our principal 

 watering-places. An attempt has been made to 

 introduce the subject-matter in as methodical and 

 scientific a manner as possible, so that each chapter 

 might be a sketch of the natural history, classifica- 

 tion, and affinities of the animals mentioned. In 

 this manner, the young beginner will be brought 

 into direct acquaintance with the first principles of 

 zoology. Where possible, the embryological rela- 

 tions of the various forms, and the geological 

 antiquity of the genus or family to which they 



