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perhaps its two best points are round the isolated Thatcher and
Oare…rock； and from the mouth of Brixham harbour to Berry Head；
along which last line； for perhaps three hundred years； the decks
of all Brixham trawlers have been washed down ere running into
harbour； and the sea…bottom thus stored with treasures scraped up
from deeper water in every direction for miles and miles。
Hastings is； I fear； but a poor spot for dredging。 Its friable
cliffs and strong tides produce a changeable and barren sea…floor。
Yet the immense quantities of Flustra thrown up after a storm
indicate dredging ground at no great distance outside； its rocks；
uninteresting as they are compared with our Devonians； have yielded
to the industry and science of M。 Tumanowicz a vast number of sea…
weeds and sponges。 Those three curious polypes； Valkeria cuscuta
（Plate I。 fig。 3）； Notamia Bursaria； and Serialaria Lendigera；
abound within tide…marks； and as the place is so much visited by
Londoners； it may be worth while to give a few hints as to what
might be done； by anyone whose curiosity has been excited by the
salt…water tanks of the Zoological Gardens and the Crystal Palace。
An hour or two's dredging round the rocks to the eastward； would
probably yield many delicate and brilliant little fishes； Gobies；
brilliant Labri； blue； yellow； and orange； with tiny rabbit mouths；
and powerful protruding teeth； pipe fishes （Syngnathi） （25） with
strange snipe…bills （which they cannot open） and snake…like bodies；
small cuttlefish （Sepiolae） of a white jelly mottled with brilliant
metallic hues； with a ring of suckered arms round their tiny
parrots' beaks； who； put into a jar； will hover and dart in the
water； as the skylark does in air； by rapid winnowings of their
glassy side…fins； while they watch you with bright lizard…eyes； the
whole animal being a combination of the vertebrate and the mollusc；
so utterly fantastic and abnormal； that （had not the family been
amongst the commonest； from the earliest geological epochs） it
would have seemed； to man's deductive intellect； a form almost as
impossible as the mermaid； far more impossible than the sea…
serpent。 These； and perhaps a few handsome sea…slugs and bivalve
shells； you will be pretty sure to find： perhaps a great deal
more。
Meanwhile； without dredging； you may find a good deal on the shore。
In the spring Doris bilineata comes to the rocks in thousands； to
lay its strange white furbelows of spawn upon their overhanging
edges。 Eolides of extraordinary beauty haunt the same spots。 The
great Eolis papillosa； of a delicate French grey； Eolis pellucida
（？） （Plate X。 fig。 4）； in which each papilla on the back is
beautifully coloured with a streak of pink； and tipped with iron
blue； and a most fantastical yellow little creature； so covered
with plumes and tentacles that the body is invisible； which I
believe to be the Idalia aspersa of Alder and Hancock。
At the bottom of the rock pools； behind St。 Leonard's baths； may be
found hundreds of the snipe's feather Anemone （Sagartia
troglodytes）； of every line； from the common brown and grey snipe's
feather kind； to the white…horned Hesperus； the orange…horned
Aurora； and a rich lilac and crimson variety； which does not seem
to agree with either the Lilacinia or Rubicunda of Gosse。 A more
beautiful living bouquet could hardly be seen； than might be made
of the varieties of this single species； from this one place。
On the outside sands between the end of the Marina and the Martello
tower； you may find； at very low tides； great numbers of a sand…
tube； about three inches long； standing up out of the sand。 I do
not mean the tubes of the Terebella； so common in all sands； which
are somewhat flexible； and have their upper end fringed with a
ragged ring of sandy arms： those I speak of are straight and
stiff； and ending in a point upward。 Draw them out of the sand …
they will offer some resistance … and put them into a vase of
water； you will see the worm inside expand two delicate golden
combs； just like old…fashioned back…hair combs； of a metallic
lustre； which will astonish you。 With these combs the worm seems
to burrow head downward into the sand； but whether he always
remains in that attitude I cannot say。 His name is Pectinaria
Belgica。 He is an Annelid； or true worm； connected with the
Serpulea and Sabellae of which I have spoken already； and holds
himself in his case like them； by hooks and bristles set on each
ring of his body。 In confinement he will probably come out of his
case and die； when you may dissect him at your leisure； and learn a
great deal more about him thereby than （I am sorry to say） I know。
But if you have courage to run out fifteen or twenty miles to the
Diamond； you may find really rare and valuable animals。 There is a
risk； of course； of being blown over to the coast of France； by a
change of wind； there is a risk also of not being able to land at
night on the inhospitable Hastings beach； and of sleeping； as best
you can； on board： but in the long days and settled fine weather
of summer； the trip； in a stout boat； ought to be a safe and a
pleasant one。
On the Diamond you will find many； or most of those gay creatures
which attract your eye in the central row of tanks at the
Zoological Gardens： great twisted masses of Serpulae； （26） those
white tubes of stone； from the mouth of which protrude pairs of
rose…coloured or orange fans； flashing in； quick as light； the
moment that your finger approaches them or your shadow crosses the
water。
You will dredge； too； the twelve…rayed sun…star （Solaster papposa）；
with his rich scarlet armour； and more strange； and quite as
beautiful； the bird's foot star （Palmipes membranaceus）； which you
may see crawling by its thousand sucking…feet in the Crystal Palace
tanks； a pentagonal webbed bird's foot； of scarlet and orange
shagreen。 With him； most probably； will be a specimen of the great
purple heart…urchin （Spatangus purpureus）； clothed in pale lilac
horny spines； and other Echinoderms； for which you must consult
Forbes's 〃British Star…fishes：〃 but perhaps the species among them
which will interest you most； will be the common brittle…star
（Ophiocoma rosula）； of which a hundred or so； I can promise； shall
come up at a single haul of the dredge； entwining their long spine…
clad arms in a seemingly inextricable confusion of 〃kaleidoscope〃
patterns （thanks to Mr。 Gosse for the one right epithet）； purple
and azure； fawn； brown； green； grey； white and crimson； as if a
whole bed of China…asters should have first come to life； and then
gone mad； and fallen to fighting。 But pick out； one by one；
specimens from the tangled mass； and you will agree that no China…
aster is so fair as this living stone…flower of the deep； with its
daisy…like disc； and fine long prickly arms； whic