Seaside Resorts [Lyme Regis) 



133 



Weymouth. 



Weymouth has a fine beach and it is near to Dorchester 

 and the Isle of Portland. At the former there is an excellent 

 Museum, rich in prehistoric archaeology, and at the latter, fossil 

 trees may be seen on an unequalled scale. They are too big 

 and heavy to be brought to museums and must be inspected 

 in situ. The quarrymen are constantly bringing fresh ones 

 to light, and they are practically indestructible. 



Lyme Regis and Whitby. 



Lyme Regis is geologically the Whitby of the south coast, 

 and both places present almost unparalleled attractions to the 

 naturalist. What Lyme fails to secure in comparison with its 

 rival as to salubrity, it fully makes up for in the superior 

 attractiveness of its Lias Cliffs. It is the paradise of the 

 fossil-seeker. Falls of cliff are frequent and remains of 

 ichthyosauri, &c, &c, &c, may be had at any time for the 

 trouble of carrying them home. Whitby has its Lias, too, but 

 its cliffs are harder and less accessible than those of Lyme. 

 The Botany, the fish and the zoophytes are good at both. 

 There is a Museum of old standing and much interest at 

 Whitby, but none at Lyme. 



At some future time we hope to find room for more detailed 

 notices of several of the places which we have here men- 

 tioned very briefly and some of the many which we have wholly 

 omitted. For the present the west coast and much of the 

 south, as well as the whole of Scotland and Ireland must be 

 left aside. Many of the places in these possess as regards 

 marine zoology far superior attractions to those in the east 

 which we have above described. The Cornish coast for 

 shells, Tenby and Ilfracombe for zoophytes, and the Irish 

 coast for Crustacea are well-known to all naturalists. We 

 very reluctantly leave for the present their glories undescribed. 



