418 EAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. [Oh. XXIV. 



an Asterina, most beautifully variegated with bright red, 

 white, and blue, but extremely variable in pattern, so that no 

 two of them were alike. The arrangement of the colour was 

 in spots or papillse, precisely resembling the effect of Berlin- 

 wool work, each papilla being of some definite colour, and 

 adjacent papillae being often strongly contrasted. It was in 

 considerable profusion on the rocks leading to the Cape of 

 Good Hope. The other Echinoderm was a small Echinus, 

 also extremely variable ili colouring. There were three 

 distinct varieties, — the spines of one of a rich scarlet, with 

 an undergrowth of small olive-green spines, and tentacles of 

 metallic blue ; the second variety had deep violet spines and 

 brown tentacles ; and the third, pale reddish or buff, the 

 most common form. 



We left Simon's Bay on 28th May, and on the 8th of 

 June cast anchor at James Town, St. Helena. The ap- 

 proach to this remarkable island is very interesting; and 

 two pointed peaks ia the east and west end of it re- 

 spectively, having steep escarpments towards the sea, and 

 smooth, gentle descents on the landward side, bear witness 

 to its volcanic origin, and have every appearance of being 

 remains of two sides of a great crater, whose other sides had 

 been washed away or demolished by the inroads of the sea 

 through long continued ages. Very bold outlines and peaks, 

 with rich contrasts of light and shade, were developed on 

 a nearer approach; and when quite close, the points of 

 interest in the rugged coast greatly multiplied. . Sharp, 

 serrated peaks, — rows of basaltic crags, with the character- 

 istic sloping talus oi dihris at their bases, — gigantic faces 

 of rock, with thin dykes traversing them irregularly from 

 top to bottom, at right angles to their cleavage, — all formed 

 a fine study, and but too rapidly passed before the eye. 



