1 66 REPORT OF FIELD MEETINGS 



loosely strewn about. Of the green kinds, the commoner Green 

 Laver and Sea Grass were seen everywhere on the large stones 

 and rocks. Time did not permit to notice in detail the various 

 kinds of red sea-weed I saw in the rock pools. One of them, 

 the Coralline — a beautiful plant with jointed pinnate fronds of 

 a brittle and limy nature — was growing in great profusion in 

 almost every pool. 



I now had very little time left to carry on a prolonged in- 

 vestigation, as the tide had turned, and my fellow naturalists 

 were urging me from the coast, to move on to Alnmouth, where 

 refreshments would be ready. The little time left was devoted 

 to the animal life frequenting the rocks. I noticed several 

 times a dark brown oval jelly-like mass, which was found to 

 be one of the kinds of anemones of the Beadlet variety. The 

 limpets were everywhere clinging to the rocks, and in many 

 instances were themselves covered with the little fishing 

 barnacles or acorn-shells, and the slate-coloured variety of 

 periwinkle was noticed in great numbers. There were also 

 crowds of small mussels present on many of the rocks. Several 

 crabs of the common sort were seen, and good specimens of 

 the Five-fingered and Sun Starfish were met with. 



On leaving this interesting locality I was much puzzled by 

 the flight of a large flock of Starlings hovering near the same 

 spot on the shore a little above high-water mark. On ap- 

 proaching their haunt I found some very large heaps of sea- 

 weed, principally consisting of tangle, in a highly decomposed 

 state, possessing a very disagreeable odour. On turning 

 some of it over I discovered a good deal of maggot life, con- 

 sisting of the larvae of dipterous insects. It was concluded 

 that the presence of these grubs was the source of attraction 

 of the Starlings. Strolling rather leisurely southwards along 

 the beach, enjoying the sea-breeze, which was tempering the 

 heat of the sun to a delicious warmth, I came to several 

 shingly spots which afforded chances of seeing the various 

 kinds of pebbles and tenantless shells. There were to be seen 

 specimens of the Common Wentletrap, the Cockle, bits of the 

 Razor Shell, the Common Scallop, two or three of the Whelk, 



