THE EUROPEAN SEAS. 



75 



twelve feet high, is shown as a curiosity ; and so 

 barren, that the unproductiveness of the soil pro- 

 duces more famines than food for the people, offers 

 but few attractions to the terrestrial zoologist, or to 

 the botanist; their birds, chiefly of remarkable 

 northern types, and their one peculiar plant, the 

 pretty little Arenaria JVorvegica, excepted. But 

 the deficiency in the land is fully compensated for 

 by the redundancy in the waters ; and in no part of 

 the British islands is the naturalist so sure of reap- 

 ing a rich harvest as in the Zetland seas. The 

 coast-line, the bays or voes, and the deep sea or haaf, 

 equally abound in singular and interesting forms of 

 Boreal life. The tides have but a small fall ; yet 

 between high and low -water mark an ample harvest 

 of curious creatures and marine plants may be 

 gathered. In the Laminarian zone the great roots 

 of the tangles are inhabited by thousands of crea- 

 tures, specifically new to the zoologist who comes 

 here from the southern shores of Britain. Marga- 

 rita undulata and Trichotropis borealis, appearing 

 in numbers, soon inform him of his latitude. But 

 above all, the quantity of Rolothurice, sea-pudding 

 as the natives call them, attracts and astonishes the 

 dredger. The great Cucumariafrondosa, whose body, 

 resembling a huge sausage, when extended reaches 

 a length of three feet, occurs in abundance and fur- 

 nishes admirable subjects for the skill of the anato- 

 mist. The sheltered bays swarm with medusae; 

 many of these kinds not seen elsewhere in theBri- 



