THE HERMIT'S MUSEUM. 267 



magpies, ostrich-eggs and salamanders, all strewn 

 about in admirable confusion. Truly we learned 

 more wonders in the way of natural history, and 

 heard more long yarns about the Cape of Good Hope 

 during our refection in that hermit's cell, than we 

 could lay before our readers in a whole volume ; and 

 when the worthy father, staff in hand, kindly accom- 

 panied us on our road homewards, and saw us safely 

 out of harm's way, we had almost forgotten our 

 toils, and heartily bade adieu to the Hermit of the 

 Museum. 



One of our principal objects in visiting Whitehaven 

 was the study of the Annelidans met with upon that 

 coast, and, from what the reader has already learned 

 concerning the locality, matters seemed but little 

 promising for our purpose. The investigation of the 

 habits of these animals is a matter of some difficulty 

 under the most favourable circumstances, and upon 

 this occasion everything seemed adverse to our suc- 

 cess. Tanks we had none ; and even if we had had 

 suitable vessels, to have inundated the hospitable 

 residence of our kind host, Mr. John Gibson, with 

 sea- water, would have been, to say the least of it, 

 hardly endurable by any stretch of friendship. But 

 more than this, many of the Annelidans, whose habits 

 we were desirous of studying, are by no means easy of 

 observation ; many of them bury themselves habitually 

 in sand or mud others construct factitious tubes, 

 into which they retreat upon the slightest disturb- 

 ance many pertinaciously conceal themselves under 

 stones all shun the light, and thus baffle our attempts 

 to get anything like a satisfactory view of them 



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