RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST, 



CHAPTER I. 



THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHAUSEY. 



Inferior animals in the neighbourhood of Paris. Granville. The 

 tides. The Archipelago of Chausey ; Grande-He. Former 

 connexion of Chausey with the continent ; submarine forests. 

 Local traditions. The farm. The natives of Blainville ; 

 Lobster and shrimp fishery. The stone-cutters. The barilla- 

 collectors ; fabrication of soda. Importance of the study of the 

 more simply organised animals. Zoological riches of Chausey. 



The errant Annelids ; Eunice ; Cirrhatula. Their weapons 

 of offence and defence ; their enemies. The Synapta of Duvernoy. 



Sentiments awakened by the study of animal life. Departure 

 for St. Malo. 



I HAD spent the spring of 1841 in studying some of 

 the inferior forms of animal life which occur in the 

 environs of Paris.* In the course of these researches 

 I explored the ponds of Plessis-Piquet and Meudon, 

 the stagnant pools around Vincennes, the basins in 

 the gardens at Versailles, and even the ditches along 



* [M. de Quatrefages here inserts a note on the classification of 

 the animal kingdom, which, in consequence of its length, we have 

 transferred to the Appendix. See Appendix, Note I.] 

 VOL. I. B 



