228 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



rich as I anticipated. When Dr Acland, of whom Oxford 

 is justly proud, commenced the foundation of that anatomical 

 museum over which he presides, Scilly was the first place 

 chosen by him for the collection of specimens, on account of 

 its geographical position at the entrance of the Bristol, Irish, 

 and English Channels, with Renners Current near. He em- 

 ployed Victor Carus, since known by an excellent work on 

 Morphology,* as his purveyor for six months, exploring and 

 dredging. Carus has contributed a little paper to North's 

 Week at Scilly, in which he gives expression to his opinion 

 that the " sea is not a dense one, although there are multi- 

 tudes of zoophytes and hosts of fishes ; there are only a few 

 molluscs, some worms, and a not very large number of echi- 

 noderms." On the whole, he does not think Scilly equal to 

 the Channel Islands. Either I have been lucky, or my 

 wishes pointed in different directions from those of Victor 

 Carus ; for although unable to dredge, and confined, therefore, 

 to tide-pools, I have had an embarrassment of riches rather 

 than a want thereof. His verdict, however, is worth remem- 

 bering, because, as these Isles are very inaccessible, and are 

 hyperborean in the imperfection of their commissariat, the 

 naturalist should weigh advantages with disadvantages 

 before coming here. The attractions are manifold, as I 

 have before explained ; but the attraction of a very rich 

 fauna Scilly cannot boast, xmless zoophytes be the main 

 object of search. The Anemones are various, and prodigally 

 abundant. Anthea, and the noble Crassicornis, are almost 

 as frequent as the Smooth Anemone is at Ilfracombe and 



* Si/stem der thierischen Morphologie. 1853. 



