THE TANSY. 133 



the cliff over the mouth of these cavities, greatly 

 increased the romantic effect ; after rainy weather, I 

 can well suppose it a fine columnar cascade, though 

 now it was small. 



South of these arches, the cliffs become low and 

 shelving, so that it was not difficult to scramble down 

 to the water-aide. The wash of the sea, however, was 

 much too great to make it anything of a collecting 

 ground. Besides the smooth Anemone, a few Trocki 

 and Purpurce, a Tansy or two (Blennius pholis), and 

 other equally common things, no animal life was visi- 

 ble. Algae were fine, of certain species. Laminaria 

 diffitata was waving in great magnificence ; and that 

 singular plant Himanthalia lorea, consisting of long 

 and slender thongs springing from the centre of a 

 flat button : Chondrus, Rhodymenia, Ceramiwm, and 

 Polysiphonia, of common sorts, were all luxuriant in 

 the sheltered nooks between the boulders. I got also 

 some deep-red mossy tufts of the delicate Callitham- 

 nion hyssoideum, growing on the stems of other Algae ; 

 but on the whole my excursion was fruitless in respect 

 to natural history, though prolific in entertainment. 



THE TANSY. 



One is apt to slight, as too mean to be worthy of 

 notice, those objects which, are very common, though 

 they may possess as many points of intrinsic interest 

 as others, which, because they are more rare, occupy a 

 more prominent place in our regard. I have two or 

 three times passed by the Smooth Blenny, Shanny, 

 or, as it is here called, Tansy f Blennius pholis J , with 

 somewhat of a contemptuous notice, which really it is 



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