216 Hick: A Ramble in the Isle of Lindisfarne. 
there stretches a reef of rocks out into the sea. These 
I proceeded to examine. I climbed down the rocks into 
a small natural harbour. Underneath the long trails of 
' sea-weed I found several sorts of sponges. One, forming 
a yellow crust on the rocks, with small quiescent volcanic 
cones dotted all over; another, a white one, hanging down 
from the rocks, with one large hole at the bottom; and another 
clinging, sac-like, to the sea-weed. These are calcareous 
sponges, with two differently-shaped spicules—one, triradiate, 
the other, like a small-headed nail—which are easily seen under 
the microscope. Groups of little Periwinkle eggs stood in 
the crevices of the rocks, the holes at the top showing where 
the animals had escaped. I found, lying on the sand, a ball 
of these eggs, all their bases attached together and the cups 
standing out all round like Porcupine’s quills. Like lightning 
a little Eel darted past, and hid under a stone! Should I give 
chase? Why not? So from stone to stone I followed him, 
till he lay gasping on the sand, and lo! he was a Gunnel 
after all! Splashes of what looked like white paint on the 
Fucus next attracted my attention. After examination I decided 
it was a species of Sea-Mat, probably Lepratia. On a stone, 
I found a mass of brown jelly, embedded in which were 
starry red flowers quite large to the naked eye. I took it 
home and found it was too opaque for microscopic exam- 
ination, and it soon dried up, and I never came across any 
more, so I did not find out what it was. 
Sea Lemons, the Doris jonstonz, there were in plenty, some 
quite yellow, others yellow with blotches of purple or red 
They were attached firmly to the rock with their gills 
d hen i 
e 
a Eriliant splash of red attracted my eye, what was it? Fairy- 
land was opened to me! Below was a 2 feet deep pool in 
the rocks. Two red Sun Starfish lay at the bottom, a yellow 
Sea-Urchin clung to one side, a purple one at the other. Coral 
sea-weed, green sea-weeds like fine grass or narrow crimped 
ribbon, and crimson sea-weeds covered with the little Spzrorbzs, 
grew all over the rocks and tufted the stones. I gave a gasp 
of delight. How beautiful it all was! The restless sea even — 
to all appearance had sunk to sleep, and the air was filled with 
the strange peace which characterizes the interval between the 
ebb and flow of the tide. Beyond the farthest rocks a dark head 
rose, and then another, and another. What could they be be but but 
eee ae . “Naturals 
ph 
