CHAPTER VII. 



A yeet important question this, which in answering 

 I must preface by the advice, to collect as little at a 

 time as you can afford, according to your stay in any 

 locality, and collect them either in an oilskin bag or a 

 tin can with sea water ; for these flowers of the sea 

 fade, and even decompose marvellously fast, when 

 roughly handled or carelessly gathered. 



The best time for collecting is in the early morning, 

 when, on your return, there is leisure for immediately 

 laying them out. If you come home over-tired, and 

 leave them until next day, the chances are that one- 

 half of them are spoilt. I need not repeat that the 

 finest and rarest specimens are found in the lowest- 

 tide pools, or cast up after a storm ; but even at high 

 tide the seaside naturalist will find most pleasant 

 occupation and delightful surprise if with a microscope 

 he investigates those very small specimens which are 

 too insignificant for the lady's album, and finds such 

 form and colour, provision and harmony, as the 

 Almighty Creator conceals from the unseeing eye, to 

 reveal to our patient and intelligent research. 



Supposing, however, that we have searched a few 

 tide-pools, and brought home a tangled mass of olive, 

 red, and green seaweeds, we get some soup plates, 



