1 908-1909.] Glimpses of Marine Life 07i the Forth. 113 



inhabitants. On looking steadily into the water for a short 

 time, the little fixed acorn-shells at the bottom are perceived 

 opening their tiny valves, thrusting out their feathery cirri, 

 withdrawing them again, and once more closing up their 

 hatches. The whole operation is constantly repeated with 

 rhythmical regularity, as though the young cirripedes had 

 undergone a course of musical drill. The little, brown, fan- 

 like gills of Serpula are exposed, but as soon as the observer's 

 shadow falls on them, they are at once withdrawn within the 

 white contorted tubes. Hobbling over the bottom of the pool, 

 Mother-Hubbard fashion, may also be seen a young hermit- 

 crab, almost completely disguised under the Trochns shell it 

 bears about with it. Descending the beach farther, we remark 

 that the three common species of Fiicus appear to be arranged in 

 zones, and on the fronds of some of these sea- weeds we notice 

 pink spots consisting of little colonies of the exceedingly pretty 

 hydroid zoophyte, Clava. If we place a bit of weed with a 

 patch of Clava on it in sea-water and examine it closely, we 

 see a cluster of stalked zooids exquisitely coral- coloured and 

 shaped like miniature lilies. The zooid of Clava much re- 

 sembles the fresh-water Hydra, its body consisting of a sack 

 with a single opening at the top surrounded by hollow 

 tentacles. Under the microscope it is a charming object : 

 the zooids remind one of ancient wine - jars or amphorae ; 

 from their sides, like the petals of a flower, spread the 

 filamentous tentacles, and beneath there is a beaded ring 

 of egg-capsules. Euskin reckoned it one of his meritorious 

 actions that he had done justice to the pine-tree ; it wants 

 some gifted artist to do justice to Clava and other equally 

 beautiful forms of marine life. 



Another abundant zoophyte is the sea-fir (Sertularia) : it 

 grows on Fucus, and looks like a little twig or piece of thin 

 wire bent into a zigzag. Cairfpanularia and Ealecium are 

 allied genera, all characterised by the herring-bone appear- 

 ance of the stalk. At each joint of the stalk is a small 

 cup in which a separate zooid has its abode : every zooid is 

 provided with a wreath of delicate tentacles, the slender stalk 

 being the property of the whole colony. Syncorne, an allied 

 organism, also has the appearance of a twig : instead of eggs 

 it throws off buds which develop into free-swimmiag medusoids 



