Reap E A ee a eee A oy es Se eae ES 
. leathery cases of the skate with their four long spines, are not — 
360 BEACH RAMBLES. 
tween them, by which it draws itself along. The sea-anemone, — 
Metridium marginatum, occurs here, and with a little care in the 
search, may be seen expanding its yellowish, leathery disk ‘into 4 
ocean flowers of great beauty and varied hues. Small sponges are — 
not uncommon. The eggs of various fishes, as the square, black, — 
uncommon, and to the careful observer, every hour reveals some — 
new form of life, or discovers interesting and curious habits 
forms already familiar. 
In the ocean are found in abundance the cod, the haddock, 
the pollock, the hake, the mackerel, the cunner or sea-perch, the 
flounder, the dog-fish, the fisherman’s special enemy, driving away 
all other fish, and even eating from the hooks fish already caught 
on the trawl, the sculpin, that marvel of ugliness, and more 
the skate, the cusk, the blue-fish, and occasionally the huge, 
misshapen, abbreviated, sluggish, worthless, shorter sun-fish, 
thagoriscus mola, looking as if it might be one of Darwin’s d 
opments, that had not yet attained to a tail. 
In the marshes back of the beach, all sorts of water-fowl a 
and the hunter’s gun is often heard. 
The flora of this locality also, is full of interest, especially s 
one unfamiliar with the curious forms of the spiny Salsola a 
the thick, apparently leafless stems of Salicornia herbacea, and 
cheerful colors of the beach pea, Lathyrus maritimus, flowering 
intervals all through the season. All these and many others 
found growing in the pure, white, dry sand, apparently incapable 
furnishing either moisture or nourishment to any sort of a 
tion. 
To the lover of nature, accustomed only to the verdure 
beauty of inland woods and fields, or the majesty of mow 
scenery, a residence of a few days or weeks at Hampton F 
could hardly fail to bring much Ae novelty and constant ini 
while the cool sea-breeze, and the glorious surf-bath, bring 
vigor to the wearied frame, and the everlasting diapason of 
Ocean, thundering against his rocky shores, can hardly fail 
even the undeyout mind with thoughts of the great and 
Maker of all this beauty, 
