86 The Zoologist at Scarborough . 



with the singular cup-shaped fronds of Himanthalia lorea. 

 These were just putting out their elongated receptacles, whence 

 the plant derives its name of sea- thongs. Some of the older 

 and larger examples were quickly transferred to my box for 

 after examination, and others more delicate, which, were in- 

 tended for preservation. One of the former afforded a charac- 

 teristic instance of the multiplicity of organized objects with 

 which nature loves to people every cranny to excess. The 

 whole frond was less than two inches in diameter, but its 

 wrinkled edges, bent back upon its short stem, formed a 

 complete shelter to hundreds of living creatures. First there 

 was a nest of young mussels, covered with the perplexing hairy 

 epidermis common to all, and permanent in one, of the British 

 species. Among them small crustaceans and strange-looking 

 larva? struggled and writhed to conceal themselves. Several 



DO 



patches of a Lepralia contained by computation at least one 

 thousand individuals, and the polypidom of another zoophyte 

 (Sertularia opercidata) , straggled over the rest, with its many 

 scores of occupants. Besides all these, there were bits of 

 nullipore here and there, and on pulling up the young mussels 

 I disinterred an interesting group of three young Odos- 

 tomia dubia. It is impossible to behold without the warmest 

 admiration such a happy family of dissimilar organisms, each 

 pursuing its own nature in the selection of its habitat and food, 

 and in its other functions of life, and all within the compass of a 

 space not larger than a crown-piece. 



But I must return to my work on the rocks. In less time 

 than I take to write it, a dashing wave came bouncing over my 

 ancles, and forced me to beat a hasty retreat. Yet it was for- 

 tune favouring me ; for the next haul from a pool was a long 

 frond of Lam. bulbosa, closely examining the dripping extre- 

 mity of which, I detected a minute, sparkling drop of pearly 

 blue. What could it be ? Something which I had hitherto 

 never seen, at least in its living state. With the utmost care I 

 detached it, and placed the fragile shell in a separate box, 

 much revolving what it . should be. Further search was re- 

 warded by six or seven other specimens, and having now more 

 leisure to examine them, I concluded they must be one of the 

 minuter members of the genus Trochus, but so different from 

 its dead and faded state in our cabinets, that I did not instantly 

 recogiii/.e the species. Soon all the fronds of the great sea- 

 weed which thus uik rpeetedly produced a new shell of my own 

 collecting were exhausted, and L was reduced to the previously 

 despised bunches of Fuous aerr at/us. Sere the striking abun- 

 dance of the egg-capsules of a Lacwna suggested the neigh- 

 bourhood of the animal, and I was able to obtain about half 

 a dozes specimens of //. pallidula. They occurred, however, 



