144 
LETTERS FROM 
inch and a half in length. After finding 
these monsters 1 fear I shall despise the small 
English chitons we used to search for with 
so much interest. I have made a drawing of 
two of the largest species, (chiton siculus,) 
to show how much they differ from each 
other in colour and markings. No. 1 is 
the most common variety, but the smaller 
and more prettily marked specimen is occa¬ 
sionally found. It is singular that the two sides 
of the same individual almost always differ from 
each other. To obtain these chitons, I wade 
in the water where it is about two feet deep, 
and turn over the stones, on the underside 
of which they are found sticking fast, like 
limpets. To preserve them properly requires 
some care, for if not prevented, they immedi¬ 
ately curl up when removed from the stones, 
and it will be found impossible to straighten 
them again without injuring them. We 
