COMPOUND ASCIDIANS. 453 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



COMPOUND ASCIDIANS. 



" Millions and millions on these banks he views, 

 Thick as the stars of night." 



IT is a pleasant evening, and we will again resume 

 our strolls upon the beach. 



" How calm, how beautiful comes on 

 The stilly hour, when storms are gone ; 

 When warring winds have died away, 

 And clouds beneath the glancing ray 

 Melt off, and leave the earth and sea 

 Sleeping in bright tranquillity ! " 



If, when thus walking upon the sea-shore about the 

 line of low-water mark, our readers will take the 

 trouble to turn over large stones, or look carefully 

 under projecting eaves of rock, they are almost sure 

 to find occasionally in considerable abundance 

 translucent jelly-like masses, sometimes nearly uni- 

 form in tint, sometimes beautifully variegated, and 

 very frequently ornamented as if with stars of gor- 

 geous device, encrusting the surface of the stone, 

 or depending from it in icicle-like projections. 



