Chapter I: Front Matter

'Natural History is the appointed handmaiden of Religion, enabling
us to feel and in some humble proportion to appreciate how closely
and how carefully the well-being and happiness of all creatures has
been provided for,--how admirably they are severally adapted to their
respective stations and employments, and how wonderfully every part
of their economy is made subservient to the general good. This is the
true spirit in which the aquarïst ought to work, and this is the end
and object of his science.'--_Rhymer Jones._

1 & 2 Valves of PHOLAS SHELL
3 _Pholas crispata_, with siphons extended
4 COMMON BRITTLE STAR (_Ophiocoma rosula_) From Nature, showing the
progressive growth of new rays
5 COMMON CROSS-FISH (_Uraster rubens_)]

GLIMPSES OF OCEAN LIFE;
OR,
Rock-Pools and the Lessons they Teach.

BY

JOHN HARPER, F.R.S.S.A.
AUTHOR OF 'THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM,' ETC.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR.

'_Armado._ How hast thou purchased thy experience?
_Moth._ By my penny of observation.'

SHAKSPEARE.

LONDON:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.

MDCCCLX.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LORD BROUGHAM AND VAUX,

CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH,
ETC., ETC., ETC.,

THIS LITTLE VOLUME
Is Inscribed,
AS A TRIFLING TOKEN OF RESPECTFUL ADMIRATION
FOR
UNIVERSALLY RECOGNISED GREATNESS.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE PLEASURES DERIVED FROM THE STUDY OF MARINE ZOOLOGY.
Page

Introduction--Two classes of readers--Marine zoology
as an amusement--The botanist and his
pleasures--Entomological pursuits--Hidden marvels
of nature--The little Stickleback--Conclusion, 17

CHAPTER II.

A GLANCE AT THE INVISIBLE WORLD.

Microscopic studies--When to use the
microscope--Modern martyrs of science--Infusoria--Use
of Infusoria--Distinction between plants and
animals--_Vorticella_--_Rotatoria_--Wheel
animalcules--Mooring Thread of Vorticellæ--A
compound species of Vorticella described--_Zoothamnium
spirale_ of Mr. Gosse--Nature's scavengers, 27

CHAPTER III.

SEA ANEMONES.

Animal-flowers--_A. mesembryanthemum_--'Granny,'
Sir J. Dalyell's celebrated anemone--Original anecdote--_A.
troglodytes_--How to capture actiniæ--A roving 'mess.'--An
intelligent anemone--Diet of the actiniæ--Voracity of these
zoophytes--Defence of certain species--Actiniæ eating
crabs--Their reproductive powers--Size of the 'crass.'--The
Plumose anemone--Its powers of contraction, 45

CHAPTER IV.

EDIBLE CRAB--SHORE CRAB--SPIDER CRAB, ETC.

The Partane--Its character defended--Crustaceous demons--The
wolf and the lamb--Interesting anecdote--Reason and
instinct--Anecdote of the Shore crab--'The creature's run
awa''--A crustaceous performer--The Fiddler crab--A little
prodigal--Singular conduct of the Shore crab--The minute
Porcelain crab--_Maia squinado_--_Hyas
araneus_--_Maia_ and _C. mænas_--Anecdote--The
common Pea crab--Pinna and Pinnotheres--The Cray
fish--Masticatory organs of crabs--Fishing for
crabs--Crab fishers, 63

CHAPTER V.

HERMIT CRABS.

Enthusiastic students of nature--Aristocratic Hermit
crabs--Swammerdam--Hermit crab and its habits--Anecdote--The
Hermit in a fright--Soldier crab and Limpet--A crustaceous
Diogenes--Prometheus in the tank--The martyr Hermit
crab--The author's pet Blenny--Anecdote, 89

CHAPTER VI.

EXUVIATION OF CRUSTACEA (THE PHENOMENA OF CRABS, ETC.,
CASTING THEIR SHELLS).

The Tower of London--A crustaceous armory--The author's
experience on the subject--Reamur and Goldsmith--Rejected
shells of crabs--Anecdote--Hint to the young
aquarian--Exuviation described from personal observation
in several instances--Renewal of injured limbs--Frequency
of exuviation--Effect of diet on crustacea--Exuviation
arrested--Exuviation of the Hermit crab--How the process
is effected, 109

CHAPTER VII.

PRAWNS AND SHRIMPS.

Habits of the Prawn--The Common Shrimp--How to catch
shrimps--Conclusion, 135

CHAPTER VIII.

ACORN-BARNACLES--SHIP-BARNACLES.

The Common Barnacle described--Exuviation of the
_Balani_--Anecdote--The Ship Barnacle--Barnacle
Geese, 143

CHAPTER IX.

PHYLLODOCE LAMINOSA (THE LAMINATED NEREIS).

A rainy day at the sea-shore--Laminated Nereis--Its
tenacity of life--Its unsuitableness for the aquarium--How
the young annelids are produced--Evidence of a French
naturalist, 151

CHAPTER X.

THE FAN-AMPHITRITE.

Its renewal of mutilated organs--How to accommodate this
annelid in the tank--The 'case' of the
Fan-Amphitrite, 159

CHAPTER XI.

THE COMMON MUSSEL.

Dr. Johnson and Bozzy--Habits of the Mussel--Marine
'at homes'--The Purpura and its habits--Enemies of the
Mussel--Anecdote--Construction of the beard (or
Byssus)--Author's experience--Anecdote of the
mussel--Muscular action of its foot--Threads of the
beard--The bridge at Bideford--Anecdote--The
Mussel tenacious of life--The beard not poisonous--M.
Quatrefage--Mussel beds of Esnandes--Branchiæ of the
Mussel--Food of this bivalve, 163

CHAPTER XII.

TEREBELLA FIGULAS (THE POTTER).

Anecdote of the Potter--Its cephalic tentacula--Construction
of its tubular dwelling--_Terebella littoralis_--Curious
anecdote--Branchial organs of this annelid, 189

CHAPTER XIII.

ACALEPHÆ (MEDUSÆ, OR JELLY-FISH).

Introduction--Jelly-fish--Whales'
food--Lieutenant Maury--Appearance of the Greenland
Seas--Sir Walter Scott--The girdle of Venus--The
Beröe--_Pulmonigrade acalephæ_--Portuguese
man-of-war--_Hydra-tuba_--Alternation of
generations--Dr. Reid--_Modera-formosa_--_Cyanea
capillata_--Conclusion, 201

CHAPTER XIV.

DORIS EOLIS, ETC.

Anecdote--Young Dorides--Doris spawn--_Nudibranchiate
gasteropoda_--Dr. Darwin--Mr. Gosse--A black
Doris--_Bêches de mer_--A Chinese dinner--Bird's
nest soup, and Sea-slug stew, 221

CHAPTER XV.

THE CRAB AND THE DAINTY BEGGAR.

Anecdote--The Pholas and Shore-crab--The
_hyaline stylet_--The dainty beggar--The
gizzard of the Pholas--Of what use is the stylet? 233

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PHOLAS, ETC. (ROCK-BORERS).

Pholades at home--Habits of the Pholas--_P.
crispata_--The pedal organ--Finny gourmands--How is
the boring operation performed?--Various theories on
the subject--Mr Clark, Professor Owen--The Pholas at
work--The boring process described from personal
observation--Author's remarks on the subject--Pholas
in the tank--Conclusion, 241

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SEA-MOUSE.

The Sea-mouse--Bristles of the aphrodite--Its
beautiful plumage (?)--Its weapons
of defence--The spines described--Shape of the
aphrodite, &c., 263

CHAPTER XVIII.

STAR-FISHES, ETC.

The Coral polypes--The Lily-stars--St. Cuthbert's
beads--_Pentacrinus europæus_--Rosy feather star
_Ophiuridæ_--Brittle-stars--_Ophiocomo-rosula_--British
asteridæ--_Uraster rubens_--Habits of this species--Submarine
Dandos--Sir John Dalyell--Professor Jones--Star-fish feeding
on the oyster--Bird's foot Sea-star--_Luidia
fragillissima_--Cushion-stars--Professor Forbes, 269

CHAPTER XIX.

SEA-URCHINS.

Sea Urchins in the tank--Growth of the Echinus--Its
hedgehog-like spines--Suckers and pores--Ambulacral
tubes--Professor Agassiz--Movements of the
Echinus--_Pedicellariæ_--Masticatory
apparatus--Common Egg Urchin--_Echinus sphæra_--How
to remove the spines--'Do you boil your sea eggs?'--The
Green-pea Urchin--The Silky-spined Urchin--The Rosy-heart
Urchin, 287

CHAPTER XX.

THE SEA-CUCUMBER.

Its unattractive appearance out of water--Trepang--Several
varieties eaten by the Chinese--Common Sea Cucumber--Habits
of the Holothuriæ--Their self-mutilation and renewal of
lost parts, 301

CHAPTER XXI.

THE APLYSIA, OR SEA-HARE.

Anecdote--The Sea Hare plentiful at North Berwick--Its
powers of ejecting a purple fluid at certain times--Sea
Hares abhorred by the ancients--Professor Forbes--Spawn
of the Aplysia, 307

CHAPTER XXII.

SERPULÆ AND SABELLÆ.

Tubes of the _Serpulæ_--Dr. Darwin--The harbour
of Pernambuco--Its wonderful structure--Reproduction of
the _Serpulæ_--_Sabellæ_--Their sandy
tubes, &c., 313

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SOLEN, OR RAZOR FISH.

How it burrows in the sand--How specimens are
caught--_Cum grano salis_--Bamboozling the Spout
Fish--Amateur naturalists, and fishermen at the
sea-shore, 321

CHAPTER XXIV.

A GOSSIP ON FISHES--INCLUDING THE ROCKLING, SMOOTH BLENNY,
GUNNEL FISH, GOBY, ETC.

Punch's address to the ocean--Old blue-jackets and the
'galyant' Nelson--The ocean and its inhabitants--Life
beneath the wave--Fishes the happiest of created
things--A fishy discourse by St. Antony of
Padua--Traveller's ne'er do lie?--The veracious
Abon-el-Cassim--Do fishes possess the sense of
hearing--Author's experience--An intelligent Pike
fish--Dr. Warwick--The Blenny in its native
haunts--A 'Little Dombey' fish--Anecdote--The
Viviparous Blenny--The Gunnel fish--Five-bearded
Rockling--Two-spotted Goby--Diminutive
Sucker-fish--Montagu's Sucker--The
Stickleback--Its nest-building habits
described--Conclusion, 327