140 Dr. W. C. M'lutosli on the Invertebrate 



XXI. — On the Invertebrate Marine Fauna and Fishes of St. 

 Andrews. By W. C. M'Intosh, M.D. &c. 



Introduction. 



The beach at St. Andrews combines smooth sandy flats 

 with tide- worn ridges of rocks which freely communicate 

 with the German Ocean ; and the proximity to rich coralHne 

 ground renders the products of its storms peculiarly varied. 

 An unbroken surface of pure sand extends from the estuary 

 of the Tay past that of the Eden to the north-western border 

 of the city. From this point the rocks run eastward in 

 parallel rows — narrow sandy flats intervening between some of 

 the ridges, which, with one exception, are all covered at high 

 water. Lines of rocks having a similar arrangement fringe 

 the Castle and Pier to the east sands ; then a coarse sandy 

 and gravelly beach extends in a southerly direction about half 

 a mile, after which the jagged rocky border passes round the 

 eastern coast to the Frith of Forth. 



The greater part of the sandy bay has a depth of less than 10 

 fathoms ; for at this point the 20-fathom line bends outwards 

 to the Bell rock. The whole region is thus comparatively 

 shallow, and in contrast with that to the north of Arbroath 

 Road, or with the Frith of Forth and the neighbom'ing coast 

 on the south. 



If the fine stretch of sand from the river Eden to tlie city 

 (usually termed the West Sands in contradistinction to the East 

 Sands) which extends to the harbour southward is only en- 

 livened in summer by thousands of bleached heart urchins, 

 broken shells, skeletons of plaice, frogfish, and haddock, or 

 in autumn by the jellies of the medusa, the storms of winter 

 and spring wholly alter the aspect. Immense banks of sea- 

 weeds mingled with black fragments of wood, coal, and 

 muddy matter cover the beach, which in many parts becomes 

 brilliantly phosphorescent at night from the zoophytes and 

 annelids on the blades of the tangles. Amidst this debris are 

 vast numbers of sponges, zoophytes, shells, starfishes, annelids, 

 crabs, and fishes which have been swept from their various 

 habitats. All storms are not equally prolific ; they also vary 

 in regard to the abundance of the several groups — a feature 

 probably due to the direction of the wind and the invasion of 

 particular sites. The waste of marine life in such storms does 

 not attract much notice ; yet it is extraordinary and so constant 

 that it may be regarded to some extent as a check upon its 

 uninterrupted development. It is, however, to be remembered 

 that even the autumnal ripple in the Outer Hebrides brings 



