sciexce-gos ::; 



A RAMBLE IN GUERNSEY. 



'"PHE cheerful voice of the robin tempts us to 

 look out of the window at half-past five in the 

 morning, and the fresh, bright appearance of the 

 outer world irresistibly attracts us to sally forth as 

 soon as possible. The sky is still bright with the 

 varied hues of sunrise as we wend our way through 

 the irregular streets of the quaint harbour town, 

 and through the pleasing outskirts, past gardens 

 all aglow with red camellias and rhododendron ; 

 but by the time we have reached the top of the 

 cliffs, these gorgeous tints have given way to clear 

 blue. A narrow path, know only to the initiated, 

 leads down to the part of the seashore for which 

 we are bound ; but there is much to tempt us into 

 loitering on the way. Primroses peep shyly from 

 retired nooks ; violets abound ; the milkwort is in 

 bloom, and wild strawberry blossoms gleam like 

 pearls among the soft green moss. The black- 

 thorn is in all the glory of its delicate white 

 blossoms ; the sea-campion forms silvery patches 

 among darker masses of bare rock, whilst, on the 

 slopes, the bright pink campion forms a striking 

 contrast with the bluebell or wild hyacinth, hosts 

 of which are tossing their fragrant bells in the 

 morning breeze, with the charming motion 

 expressed by their botanical name. Scilla nutans. 

 No wonder that bees and butterflies should haunt 

 this spot. So early as the first of March, the 

 tortoise-shell butterfly might be found here. The 

 pale flowers of the cuckoo-pint afford shelter to 

 numerous insects, and a sharp, quick motion 

 amid the grass betrays one of their enemies, the 

 beautiful green and gold creature known as the 

 Jersey lizard. The ferns, for which the island is 

 so celebrated, are not yet seen to advantage : yet 

 there is a fair show- of hart's-tongue and hard-fern, 

 and many other kinds are putting forth fronds. 



At last, we reach a rocky plateau, from which 

 the tide has just retired. Here are happy hunting- 

 grounds indeed, for the lovers of marine zoology. 

 The rockpools are stocked with anemones to an 

 almost incredible extent. Some are carpeted with 

 specimens of the long tentacled Antlua cereus, gray 

 or green ripped with violet being the predominating 

 tints. The daisy-anemone, with its infinite variety 

 of hue, vies in number with the elegant Bunodts 

 gemmaceus ; the well-known beadlet. Actinia mesem- 

 bryanthemum, is represented in shades of red, brown 

 and green, whilst the handsome variety known as 

 the " strawberry" (fragaracca) is scarcely less 

 abundant. Here and there a huge specimen of A ctinia 

 crassUornis startles us by its likeness to a full-blown 

 dahlia. In secluded nooks, colonies of scarlet or 

 white SabeUa display their plumes, and a diligent 

 search may be rewarded by the discover}- of bright, 



orange-coloured corals. Of all these creatures, the 

 Actinia mesembryanthtmum (including the strawberry 

 variety), and the Bunodts gemmaceus, will be found 

 to do best in an aquarium. The Anthea is difficult 

 to rear, although the young specimens are said to 

 give less trouble than the full-grown, and to reach 

 a good age in captivity. 



The mollusca are fairly well represented. Frag- 

 ments of cuttlebone may be found lurking anions 

 the stones, together with those of the ormer-shell 

 (Haliotis), limpets, mussels, the purple-shell, various 

 kinds of top and periwinkle are too numerous to be 

 counted. Next in number, comes the carnivorous 

 .! ; the dainty 'cap of liberty [Emarginula 

 pssureUa) and the cowry (Trivia europaa) are also 

 plentiful. The shell of the Nassa is especially 

 affected by the hermit-crab. 



A very handsome specimen of the soldier-crab 

 may, by the way, now be seen in the aquarium of 

 the Guille-Allez Library. Upon its shell is fixed a 

 splendid crimson and white Sagartia : the snowy 

 tentacles "of the anemone wave gracefully in the 

 water, as the crab marches along. A pretty- 

 annelid occupies the same shell as the crab, who 

 will permit this " lodger," but none of the other 

 occupants of the aquarium, to share his meals. Of 

 all the tales " Nature, the dear old nurse," has to 

 tell, none can be more pleasing to those who have 

 not lost, " the childlike in the broader mind." 



To return, however, to the rock-pools ! The 

 blenny, goby, gunnel and pipe-fish disport them- 

 selves in the water, and here and there, the pale 

 golden-coloured sea-slug, Doris tuberculata, may be 

 seen gliding along the surface of the pools. This 

 pretty creature is, unfortunately, difficult to rear in 

 an aquarium. Now and then a stray specimen of 

 the sea-hare (Aplysia) may be found here, though 

 this is not one of its favourite localities. To those 

 who find either the Doris or the Aplysia among the 

 weed or rocks, we would recommend to place 

 their captive in a pool of clear water, when the 

 clammy, unshapely being will be transformed, 

 and astonish those who are unacquainted with 

 its habits by its graceful agility and marvellous 

 attitudes. 



After pausing a moment to explain to a very- 

 young companion that the piece of A& i he 

 has just picked up is not a plant, we proceed to a 

 low-, outlying, much-weathered rock, which is to 

 the rest of the group what the Tribuna is supposed 

 to be to the other departments of an Italian picture 

 gallery. It is a slippery rock to touch or climb. 

 owing to the masses of Botryllus with which it is 

 covered ; but we make straight for one side which 

 has been worn into a deep hollow by the waves. 



