78 THE SHORE 



impossible, we sit down with hammer and chisels 

 breaking up these masses into fragments, and carefully 

 chipping out each animal we see, to secure it intact. 

 We will have all around us basins, for our catch will be 

 a varied one. There will be Crustacea, Mollusca of all 

 kinds, flat worms (Turbellaria) , and an odd Nemertean 

 perchance in the crannies of the rock masses ; we shall 

 also find growing there a great variety of sedentary 

 animals, some of which we shall probably feel stimu- 

 lated to preserve. Then in the rock or coral itself will 

 be more Crustaceans, some such as Hapalocarcinus and 

 Cryptochirus, which have been grown over by the 

 coral, and others like the barnacle, Pollicipes, a true 

 borer, many worms of all sorts, Mollusca such as 

 Lithodomus the " date stone," and a few Gastropods, 

 masses of brown boring sponge, and many other 

 animals of odd groups, such as Octopods or cuttle-fish 

 which have annexed the holes made by others. All 

 may be preserved in strong alcohol, preferably being 

 first killed in weak spirit. Another method of peculiar 

 value, especially when one is pressed for time, or night 

 is approaching, is to place the rock masses in a tub or 

 basin of sea water, and to leave them for some hours 

 or the night. The animals soon get starved for oxygen, 

 and many come out of their holes, being easily picked 

 off with forceps. 



Of other free-living forms there are the sea-spiders 

 or Pycnogonids, which should be placed in small tubes 

 of strong spirit, not more than two or three together. 

 They crawl on the fine branches and stems of weeds, 

 hydroids, and especially Polyzoa. Then there is the 

 great group of flatworms, or Turbellaria, which dwell 

 mainly on the under surface of stones, crawling between 

 the sedentary sea-squirts or Tunicates, and taking 

 refuge in any hollows of the rock. Most are small, and 



