SHORES OF THE CLYDE AND FIRTH. 
65 
by burying himself in the sand, we discover two neat little 
round holes, with a little sand bridge between, stretching 
about a quarter of an inch in length. This is at once 
suspected to be the abode of some creature, but do not 
abruptly poke the finger down into the sand, as we are 
invariably inclined to do, or a sudden collapse or bursting 
through feeling will be the result. Beginning the excavating 
process about two inches away, and gradually tapering 
inwards at a depth of from two to four inches, we come 
SAND OR HEART URCHIN. 
upon a beautiful specimen of the sand or heart urchin, 
or sea egg, as it is commonly called ; a lovely creature 
it is, but not so globose in shape as his thorny, bristling 
brethren. The shell is extremely thin and easily broken, 
and the spines, wearing a light straw tint or a beautiful 
lustrous canary yellow, are closely-set hairy-like appendages ; 
and when out of the water lie as smoothly over upon the 
shell as the well combed tresses of a fair young lady. Most 
writers in dealing with the urchin speak of the specimens 
as being known as the sea egg ; but this is a fallacy as far 
as the prickly urchin is concerned, which in its living state 
as much resembles an egg as. does the hedgehog. 
