SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



141 



The large ones exposed for sale in fishmongers' 

 shops are caught in baskets in deep water. Stop ! 

 what are those things dashing about so quickly 

 in the pool ? Catch one in the net, and 

 you will find it is a small crustacean, two or 

 three inches long, something like a lobster, but 

 with a shorter tail. They are called Galathea 

 iquamiftra, and are a kind of connecting-link 

 betweeen crabs and lobsters. Now let us look at 

 this rather uninviting stone that we turned 

 over just now, and see what there is clinging to 

 its under surface. See what curious little crabs 

 those are wriggling about and trying to hide 

 themselves in the cracks and crannies. They are 

 the porcelain crab (Porullana platycheles), and 

 abound in vast numbers under nearly every large 

 stone. You must be very careful in picking them 

 oh the rock, as they have a curious habit of 

 throwing off their broad front claws when touched. 

 See also how small and rudimentary are their last 

 pair of iegs. Here is a crab very closely related 

 to plalyckeks, although it is very different in 

 appearance. It is named Porcellana Umgicornis, and 

 lias very long pincers for such a small crab. Lift 

 up that weed and you will probably see a specimen 

 of .Xjntho rivulvsa This is a pretty crab with 

 powerful claws, and is rather common at Copt 

 Point. I have also found here several specimens 

 of the spider-crabs (Hyas coarttatus and //. araneus) 

 quite covered with algae and zoophytes. 



Let us look again at our stone, as I think we 

 shall be able to find some brittle star-fish. Yes, 

 here i-. one. about two or three inches in diameter. 

 it is called Ophu \ and is so brittle that 



wc shall have to lift it off by passing a knife under 

 ■! There are also several small brittle stars 

 (O. luuliitti) which, like many other species found 

 around our at will throw off their rays. 



The l*r>t way to kill them is by dropping them 

 quickly into some fresh water. 



meriting under this piece of alga which 

 ■redid not notice at first. It is a sea-hedgehog oi 

 urchin, and has the scientific name of Echinus 

 ■ 1 . related to the star fish, 

 although it appi innlar It is a very 



curiou ■ ver, you wish to learn 



ling about its hal ne home with you 



in a j;r tier, and watch it crawl al>-. 



I ere it is 1 lear ol 



mghly made 



tubes of nnd Breal i piece and lei as 



c-.-imi-,- it it has been made by, and Is the 1m. mm: 



'I worms, and if 



«. ill »c« ii. I several <>l them 



.- out. It 1 1, and I have 



I he lube 

 ■ 

 found in the im worm Uvea in 1 



different tube from the other, and lies buried in 

 the sand, with only its tentacles above the surface. 

 The tube is made by the worm from sand and 

 pieces of shell, but unlike the fragile tube of the 

 Sabelhi it is fairly tough and flexible. Great care 

 must be taken in getting it out of the sand, the 

 best way being to dig it out. 



Other crustaceans may sometimes be found 

 under the stones or in the rock pools, such as 

 Coiystcs cassivclaunus, or the mask-crab, so called 

 from a curious impression of a face on the back of 

 its shell or carapace. Crattgoii vulgaris, or the 

 common shrimp, together with one or two other 

 varieties of shrimps, and Palaemon sciiatus, or the 

 prawn, may be seen in the rock pools at low tide. 



I think we have now got to the end of the larger 

 objects in and around this pool, and this may be 

 taken as an example of what may be found by 

 anyone, without much trouble. Of course there 

 are numerous other forms of life besides those I 

 have mentioned. If you have a microscope, you 

 will find sufficient to employ your time for many 

 evenings. Numbers of zoophytes of different kinds 

 may be seen attached to the larger species of algae 

 or to the rocks. The beautiful and interesting 

 Lucernaria campamdala, a medusian, may be found 

 in great numbers at Folkestone, attached to the 

 Fuci. 



If you keep a marine aquarium, you can obtain 

 in a few minutes a sufficient number of sea 

 anemones of four or five kinds to stock it, and 

 make it alive with these beautiful flower-animals 

 of various hues. 



Many rarer specimens inhabiting the deep sea 

 of the Channel may be obtained in the fish market 

 at Folkestone, when the boats arrive laden with 

 fish. In this way I have obtained two or three 

 species of sea and shore spiders, sand-stars 

 [Ophiura tcxturata), sea mice [Aphrodite aeultala), 

 two or three varieties of Portuiitts, or swimming 

 crabs, the long-legged spider-crab [Stenorynchus 

 tenuirostris), and many others. 



Perhaps it will be as well if 1 give a few direc- 

 tions for preserving the specimens we have found. 

 11 is best, if po isible, to kill Ihe animals as soon as 

 they are caught, and this may be done by taking 

 some jai I 01 l"ittlcs of fresh water. Drop the 



1 ans and star-fish into this, and they 



.•.ill soon die, Do not use spirit, as although 

 this will kill them, yef it will spoil Ihe 



I in. uiv .|in ir . 1 111 arriving Iioiim: tin: 



ipecimena musl I"- thoroughly washed In fresh 

 water to get rid oi the salt, and then, in the case ol 

 the star-fish and umallei crustaceans, Ihey may 



1 hi on a board I" 'Ii y in ■<■ • ""I plai <• 



away from bright lunsbinc. In the case "I Ihe 



rab and lobslei . thi - arapa* e, 01 hell, and 



the Ian ■ nould be r< moved, 1 mm h .i ■ 



po libu "i the Hi ih lal e 1 bi ton bi ii | drli d 



