336 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



a very desirable result, seeing that, without experiment, our 

 observations would carry us but little way. 



But let us turn to another subject. In describing the 

 various methods of search for animals, it has been assumed 

 that a tolerable conception exists as to the appearance of 

 the thing sought. We may also count on " chance-seek- 

 ing." We never know all that we have captured until some 

 days afterwards. Eepeated examinations of our vases and 

 bottles with a lens, enable us to detect many a curious 

 novelty which was unsuspected among the weed, and 

 has now emerged. It is, therefore, a good plan always to 

 bring home some " chance-weed," especially if it have a root ; 

 the red weeds being the most advantageous. This is placed 

 in sea-water for a day or two, and carefully examined from 

 time to time ; something is tolerably certain to be found 

 thereon. One day, going over the contents of a bottle with 

 a lens, I was struck by the curious ajjpearance of some 

 Sertularian Polype, round which minute grains of sand 

 seemed to be clustered, but all equidistant from the Polype, 

 and not visibly attached to it. On removing it to the stage 

 of the microscope, these supposed grains of sand i)roved to 

 be the cups of a tiny Polype, in aspect closely resembling 

 Tuhularia indivisa, growing parasitically on the Sertularia. 

 Proceeding to identify it, I found the species to be one hither- 

 to undescribed ; and I propose to name it Tuhularia jyara- 

 sitica, if no one has been before me. On another occasion I 

 saw, with the naked eye, a polype-like creature attached to 

 the side of the glass, with its tentacles expanded ; the lens 



