140 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



CHAPTERS FOR YOUNG NATURALISTS. 



{Continued from Vol. III., page 131.) 



Marine Fauna of Folkestone. 



By W. H. Parritt. 



A LTHOUGH Folkestone is well known to 

 ■^^ geologists and entomologists, yet I do not 

 think it has been recommended as a hunting- 

 ground for the marine zoologists. I can, however, 

 say from personal experience that it is as good as, 

 and in many respects better than, most of our 

 south and south-eastern watering-places. 



Of all branches of natural history, that of marine 

 zoology has had the least attention paid to it in 

 the past, and even now comparatively little is 

 known about the habits and life-history of many 

 the curious inhabitants of the sea. Not only 

 does the study of marine life offer to the patient 

 student many opportunities for discoveries of new 

 species, or new facts in the life-history of the 

 creatures, but it is also one of the most entrancing 

 of all studies. Only those who have tried it know 

 what pleasure there is in unexpectedly finding a 

 rare crustacean or echinoderm under a stone 

 or in a rock pool. It is pleasing to say, that 

 owing largely to the biological laboratories and 

 also the natural history museums in various 

 parts of the country, the study of marine 

 zoology is becoming more general. It is chiefly 

 for the information of the younger readers of 

 Science-Gossip that I have written this Paper, 

 descriptive of a few of the curious objects to be 

 found on the shore at Folkestone. For the last 

 three or four years I have spent my annual holiday 

 at this well-known seaside resort, and as a result 

 of my shore-hunting have brought home many a 

 specimen for my cabinet. 



I will imagine that I am accompanied by a young 

 novice to this branch of natural history, to whom 

 I will point out where to look and what to look 

 for. Let us choose for our trip to the shore a day 

 on which there is a spring tide, when the sea 

 recedes much further than usual, and leaves bare 

 many rocks which are generally covered by the 

 waves. 



I have found the rocks at the foot of Copt 

 Point, to the east of the town, by far the most 

 prolific of life, and therefore the best place 

 for shore-collecting. The rocks there extend some 

 distance seawards, and are covered with a 

 thick growth of algae, forming many small hol- 

 lows and pools, which are just the places we may 

 expect to find inhabited by the creatures we 

 are in search of. Many of the stones are loose, 

 and can be turned over with a little amount of 

 exertion, and some of the rarest specimens are to 



be obtained in this way. I am sorry to say that, 

 as the South-Eastern Railway authorities are 

 enlarging the harbour at Folkestone, these rocks 

 will probably have to be removed. There are, 

 however, other rocks at the west end of the town, 

 below the Leas, which no doubt will yield most of 

 the creatures to be found at Copt Point. 



Of course, the first object seen as we walk 

 along the shore is the common shore-crab 

 (Carcinus maenas). If we want large specimens 

 of this crab, we must wait until we arrive at 

 low-water mark, when we shall find plenty under 

 the stones and algae. As we step on the rocks 

 we find other forms of life, the commonest, 

 with the exception of the acorn-shells and sea- 

 anemones, being the five-finger star-fish (U raster 

 rubens). These are extremely plentiful at most sea- 

 side resorts where there are rocks, and abound in 

 such numbers at some places that they are used 

 as manure for the fields. They vary greatly in 

 number even at the same place, for one day they 

 may be seen in hundreds, and a few days afterwards 

 only a few comparatively can be found. I have 

 obtained several of this star-fish, both at Folkestone 

 and Eastbourne, with six rays, and one with seven 

 rays, but these require careful looking for. I have 

 often been surprised at the large number of 

 urasters to be seen here showing the reproduction 

 of their rays. They may be found in quantities 

 with from one to four of their rays much shorter 

 than the others, and some of them are extremely 

 curious. This and several other species of star-fish 

 have the power of reproducing any of their rays or 

 arms which are either injured or broken off. 



Let us now look into one of the rock pools near 

 low- water mark, and see if there is anything hidden 

 there. Here is a pool fringed with long seaweed, 

 in which we are sure to find something interesting 

 Now turn over very carefully and quickly that large 

 stone. At first sight there does not appear to be 

 much on the under surface, but we will look more 

 closely at it presently. Let us first of all see what 

 creatures we have disturbed by moving the stone. 

 There is a fine green crab (Carcinus maenas) trying 

 to hide himself in that hole. Be careful hosv you 

 pick him up, as they are very pugnacious, and will 

 often give you a good nip. Here is another crab, 

 but very different from the one we just saw. It is 

 a small specimen of the edible crab (Cancer pagunis). 

 These are seldom found on the shore with a 

 carapace of more than three or four inches wide. 



