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botany is； you search in vain for curious forms over which you trod
every day in crossing flats which seemed to you utterly ugly and
uninteresting； but which the good God was watching as carefully as
He did the pleasant hills inland： perhaps even more carefully； for
the uplands He has completed； and handed over to man； that he may
dress and keep them： but the tide…flats below are still
unfinished； dry land in the process of creation； to which every
tide is adding the elements of fertility； which shall grow food；
perhaps in some future state of our planet； for generations yet
unborn。
But to return to the water…world； and to dredging； which of all
sea…side pursuits is perhaps the most pleasant； combining as it
does fine weather sailing with the discovery of new objects； to
which； after all； the waifs and strays of the beach； whether
〃flotsom jetsom； or lagand；〃 as the old Admiralty laws define them；
are few and poor。 I say particularly fine weather sailing； for a
swell； which makes the dredge leap along the bottom； instead of
scraping steadily； is as fatal to sport as it is to some people's
comfort。 But dredging； if you use a pleasure boat and the small
naturalist's dredge； is an amusement in which ladies； if they will；
may share； and which will increase； and not interfere with； the
amusements of a water…party。
The naturalist's dredge； of which Mr。 Gosse's 〃Aquarium〃 gives a
detailed account； should differ from the common oyster dredge in
being smaller； certainly not more than four feet across the mouth；
and instead of having but one iron scraping…lip like the oyster
dredge； it should have two； one above and one below； so that it
will work equally well on whichsoever side it falls； or how often
soever it may be turned over by rough ground。 The bag…net should
be of strong spunyarn； or （still better） of hide 〃such as those
hides of the wild cattle of the Pampas； which the tobacconists
receive from South America；〃 cut into thongs； and netted close。 It
should be loosely laced together with a thong at the tail edge in
order to be opened easily； when brought on board； without canting
the net over； and pouring the contents roughly out through the
mouth。 The dragging…rope should be strong； and at least three
times as long as the perpendicular depth of the water in which you
are working； if； indeed； there is much breeze； or any swell at all；
still more line should be veered out。 The inboard end should be
made fast somewhere in the stern sheets； the dredge hove to
windward； the boat put before the wind； and you may then amuse
yourself as you will for the next quarter of an hour； provided that
you have got ready various wide…mouthed bottles for the more
delicate monsters； and a couple of buckets； to receive the large
lumps of oysters and serpulae which you will probably bring to the
surface。
As for a dredging ground； one may be found； I suppose； off every
watering…place。 The most fertile spots are in rough ground； in not
less than five fathoms water。 The deeper the water； the rarer and
more interesting will the animals generally be： but a greater
depth than fifteen fathoms is not easily reached on this side of
Plymouth； and； on the whole； the beginner will find enough in seven
or eight fathoms to stock an aquarium rivalling any of those in the
〃Tank…house〃 at the Zoological Gardens。
In general； the south coast of England； to the eastward of
Portland； affords bad dredging ground。 The friable cliffs； of
comparatively recent formations； keep the sea shallow； and the
bottom smooth and bare； by the vast deposits of sand and gravel。
Yet round the Isle of Wight； especially at the back of the Needles；
there ought to be fertile spots； and Weymouth； according to Mr。
Gosse and other well…known naturalists； is a very garden of Nereus。
Torbay； as may well be supposed； is an admirable dredging spot；
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； th