10 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



taken possession of my domicile. It was a large 

 room, whose walls, blackened by damp, showed only 

 here and there some problematical traces of former 

 painting. On an uneven floor stood a large square 

 table, another and smaller table, a few chairs, and a 

 cupboard. A bed-frame, suspended from the ceiling 

 by four ropes, and furnished with a few handfuls of 

 straw and a mattress two inches thick, was to serve 

 me in the place of a hammock. The apartment had 

 one narrow and low window looking northward upon 

 a small arm of the sea. It must be confessed that 

 there was nothing very cheering in this tout-en- 

 semble ; but the attraction of novelty and the hope 

 of future discoveries gave brightness to my walls 

 and furniture, and diffused an air of comfort over 

 everything ; so that I was soon contentedly installed 

 in my new quarters. The large table, firmly propped 

 up against the wall, was converted into a working 

 place, my microscope and lenses were arranged on 

 the best lighted angle, some of my bottles stood near 

 them, and the rest of the space was occupied by my 

 forceps, scalpels, and crayons. I placed my books 

 and the surplus of my bottles and jars on the 

 chimney-piece. Large earthenware pans were ranged 

 around the room. Everything, indeed, was disposed 

 of in the best possible manner ; but this admirable 

 arrangement soon gave place to the disorder which 

 so speedily takes possession of the quarters of a hard- 

 working naturalist. The little table, which had at 

 first been reserved for my meals, was speedily covered 

 with my objects of research, and I was very often 



