174 



THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



in the chapter on Aquaria. What we propose to do here is simply 



to make a few suggestions in regard to some possible excursions. 



A few general hints may be useful, (i) If only a few excur- 



sions can be taken, it is important to choose the time of low 



tide ; otherwise those to whom shore- 

 hunting is a new thing will be disappointed. 

 (2) One should always go out as far as 

 possible first, and retreat as the tide comes 

 in. On many coasts it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to keep a sharp lookout lest one's 

 retreat be cut off. (3) It is desirable to 

 choose as varied a piece of shore as 

 possible, especially if one cannot have 

 more than a few school excursions in the 

 year. Spurs of land running out into the 

 sea, with rock-pools and gullies and ledges, 

 with abundant seaweed, with a sandy bay 

 on either side, are often very produc- 

 tive. (4) Two sorts of vessels should be 

 taken for holding the animals while they 

 are being studied, flat vessels of the soup- 

 plate type to look down into, and high 

 glass vessels with flat sides of the 

 museum- jar type for looking through. 

 The animals must be studied in this way 

 because they often live in nooks where 

 they cannot be watched with comfort or by 

 of tubu- more than one observer at a time, because 



ubularia ,-, r r 



H, root-tubes the sur * ace of a well-stocked accessible pool 

 uniting the members of is so often ruffled by the wind, and because 

 the group ; T, upper circle i t j s o f ^Iz use looking at the animal out of 



of short tentacles around ^ , , , - 



the mouth ; /, lower circle water - To take an example, fine specimens 

 of long tentacles; R, of Tubularia indivisa are often found in 

 pendants bearing repro- jeep gullies, and in most cases the only prac- 



ductivebuds. ** J " 



ticable way of realising their extraordinary 



beauty is to reach for a few and put them in a glass vessel with 

 water. When time allows it will be found interesting to choose 

 a suitable rock pool of small size and stock it for the day with 



FIG. 88. Colony 



larian polyps (Tubularia 



