glaucus-or the wonders of the shore(格劳高斯)-第29章
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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
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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。
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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。
