THE EUROPEAN SEAS. 



167 



with what ample spoil he was rewarded for devoting 

 a long vacation to this pursuit along that most 

 enjoyable of all regions — the coast of Piedmont — 

 is fully narrated in a memoir, to which I would 

 refer every sea-side naturalist, for his encourage- 

 ment to do likewise. 



In the beautiful bay of La Spezzia, the nearly 

 tideless sea presents a very striking contrast to such 

 as may have wandered, observed, and collected only 

 along the Atlantic shores of Europe ; throughout 

 the whole Mediterranean, the sea-side naturalist 

 has never presented to him any of those broad 

 expanses of rocks and pools, swarming with life, 

 and under so many forms, which he has been accus- 

 tomed to look for where tides are lowest. 



" By wading a little, however," says Mr. Jeffreys, 

 " I found a great many live shells which I never 

 met with in my own country, such as Conus 

 Mediterraneiis, and several species of Trochus, Patella, 

 Columbella, Vermetus, and Pollia. Farther seawards 

 is a belt or fringe of Zostera and other sea-weeds, 

 which appears to be the favourite haunt of the 

 Murex Brandaris and M. trunculus. Beyond this to 

 a depth of twelve fathoms is a variety of ground, 

 a great part being covered with Zostera and other 

 sea- weeds ; another being rocky, and the rest strong 

 and favourable for the growth of sponges and 

 corals." Mr. Jeffreys puts the bather on his guard 

 against the sharp stout spines of the edible Urchin 



