CONTENTS.

[CHAPTER I.]PAGE
ON THE PLEASURES DERIVED FROM THE STUDY OF MARINE ZOOLOGY.
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 of301
lost parts,
[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
[CHAPTER XXV.]
ON THE FORMATION OF MARINE AQUARIÆ, ETC.
Mimic oceans—Practical hints on marine
aquariæ—Various tanks described—The 'gravity
bubble'—Evaporated sea-water—Aquariæ in
France—Sea-water a contraband article across the
Channel—An aquarium on a fine summer's day—The
Lettuce Ulva—Author's tank—'Excavations on a
rocky shore'—Tank 'interiors'—Various centre
pieces—New siphon—Aquariæ difficult to keep in
hot weather—How to remove the opacity of the
tank—New scheme proposed—Conclusion,353