272 MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



for land plants without neglecting my more legitimate work. 

 Picture me as I daily walk the streets of Freemantle, beard 

 grown and hair streaming down behind, for I am forced to 

 brush it straight backwards to keep it out of my eyes ; my 

 wide-awake, and a blue-striped jacket, such as butchers' boys 

 do wear ! Sometimes I have a stable bucket in each hand. 



Rottenest Island, off Freemantle. Swan Eiver, 

 June 27, 1854. 



It seems as if every new place in Australia (so far) was 

 pleasanter than the last, and if it goes on at this rate, I can't 

 say when I may think of turning homeward. 



I sometimes, when very frisky, hum to myself new words to 

 one of Mrs. Heinans's ditties, viz. : " When shall I think of you, 

 kind friends ? When shall I think of you ? When I've nothing 

 better to do, kind friends, Then I'll think of you !" I am so 

 fully employed, that I have no leisure for home-sickness. I 

 must try to give you some idea of this fair island with so foul 

 a name, which is Dutch, and means " Rat's nest," the Wallaby 

 or kangaroo-rat being plentiful here. 



The reefs, like those at Freemantle, are limestone, and re- 

 semble filigree-work, putting on the most diverse forms, often 

 reminding me of miniature hills and valleys ; in some places 

 extremely difficult to walk on, from the sharp points that stick 

 out everywhere. Many parts are all honeycombed. Those 

 under water, accessible at spring-tides, are still more extraor- 

 dinary. Some of these extend in horizontal shelves, merely 

 fixed in the centre like mushrooms on their stalks. The 

 rock pools are of magnificent dimensions, and ten or twelve 

 feet deep ; the water clear as crystal — I had almost said as 

 air ; and when the surface is calm, the view therein is extremely 

 beautiful. The sea anemones do not equal those at Miltown, 

 nor are there richly-studded urchin-pools, but this is compen- 

 sated for, in the richness and luxuriance of the Algae which 

 fringe their steep sides. One genus, Cauhrpa, is very orna- 

 mental, of which I have collected ten species, all of a rich green, 

 and much diversified in form. Some are like ostrich feathers, 

 and equally large and soft, others like the tails of squirrels or 

 Persian cats. Others, again, like strings of beads. Mixed with 

 the red Alga? and Corallines they have a beautiful effect. 



