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man living knoweth。
Next； what are the striped pears？ They are sea…anemones； and of a
species only lately well known； Sagartia viduata； the snake…locked
anemone （Pl。 V。 Fig。 3（5））。 They have been washed off the loose
stones to which they usually adhere by the pitiless roll of the
ground…swell； however； they are not so far gone； but that if you
take one of them home； and put it in a jar of water； it will expand
into a delicate compound flower； which can neither be described nor
painted； of long pellucid tentacles； hanging like a thin bluish
cloud over a disk of mottled brown and grey。
Here； adhering to this large whelk； is another； but far larger and
coarser。 It is Sagartia parasitica； one of our largest British
species； and most singular in this； that it is almost always （in
Torbay； at least；） found adhering to a whelk： but never to a live
one； and for this reason。 The live whelk （as you may see for
yourself when the tide is out） burrows in the sand in chase of
hapless bivalve shells； whom he bores through with his sharp tongue
（always； cunning fellow； close to the hinge； where the fish is）；
and then sucks out their life。 Now； if the anemone stuck to him；
it would be carried under the sand daily； to its own disgust。 It
prefers； therefore； the dead whelk； inhabited by a soldier crab；
Pagurus Bernhardi （Pl。 II。 Fig。 2）； of which you may find a dozen
anywhere as the tide goes out； and travels about at the crab's
expense； sharing with him the offal which is his food。 Note；
moreover； that the soldier crab is the most hasty and blundering of
marine animals； as active as a monkey； and as subject to panics as
a horse； wherefore the poor anemone on his back must have a hard
life of it； being knocked about against rocks and shells； without
warning； from morn to night and night to morn。 Against which
danger； kind Nature； ever MAXIMA IN MINIMIS； has provided by
fitting him with a stout leather coat； which she has given； I
believe； to no other of his family。
Next； for the babies' heads； covered with prickles； instead of
hair。 They are sea…urchins； Amphidotus cordatus； which burrow by
thousands in the sand。 These are of that Spatangoid form； which
you will often find fossil in the chalk； and which shepherd boys
call snakes' heads。 We shall soon find another sort； an Echinus；
and have time to talk over these most strange （in my eyes） of all
living animals。
There are a hundred more things to be talked of here： but we must
defer the examination of them till our return； for it wants an hour
yet of the dead low spring…tide； and ere we go home； we will spend
a few minutes at least on the rocks at Livermead； where awaits us a
strong…backed quarryman； with a strong…backed crowbar； as is to be
hoped （for he snapped one right across there yesterday； falling
miserably on his back into a pool thereby）； and we will verify Mr。
Gosse's observation； that …
〃When once we have begun to look with curiosity on the strange
things that ordinary people pass over without notice； our wonder is
continually excited by the variety of phase； and often by the
uncouthness of form； under which some of the meaner creatures are
presented to us。 And this is very specially the case with the
inhabitants of the sea。 We can scarcely poke or pry for an hour
among the rocks； at low…water mark； or walk； with an observant
downcast eye； along the beach after a gale； without finding some
oddly…fashioned； suspicious…looking being； unlike any form of life
that we have seen before。 The dark concealed interior of the sea
becomes thus invested with a fresh mystery； its vast recesses
appear to be stored with all imaginable forms； and we are tempted
to think there must be multitudes of living creatures whose very
figure and structure have never yet been suspected。
〃'O sea！ old sea！ who yet knows half
Of thy wonders or thy pride！'〃
GOSSE'S AQUARIUM； pp。 226； 227。
These words have more than fulfilled themselves since they were
written。 Those Deep…Sea dredgings； of which a detailed account
will be found in Dr。 Wyville Thomson's new and most beautiful book；
〃The Depths of the Sea；〃 have disclosed； of late years； wonders of
the deep even more strange and more multitudinous than the wonders
of the shore。 The time is past when we thought ourselves bound to
believe； with Professor Edward Forbes； that only some hundred
fathoms down； the inhabitants of the sea…bottom 〃become more and
more modified； and fewer and fewer； indicating our approach towards
an abyss where life is either extinguished； or exhibits but a few
sparks to mark it's lingering presence。〃
Neither now need we indulge in another theory which had a certain
grandeur in it； and was not so absurd as it looks at first sight； …
namely； that； as Dr。 Wyville Thomson puts it； picturesquely enough；
〃in going down the sea water became； under the pressure； gradually
heavier and heavier； and that all the loose things floated at
different levels； according to their specific weight； … skeletons
of men； anchors and shot and cannon； and last of all the broad gold
pieces lost in the wreck of many a galleon off the Spanish Main；
the whole forming a kind of 'false bottom' to the ocean； beneath
which there lay all the depth of clear still water； which was
heavier than molten gold。〃
The facts are； first that water； being all but incompressible； is
hardly any heavier； and just as liquid； at the greatest depth； than
at the surface； and that therefore animals can move as freely in it
in deep as in shallow water； and next； that as the fluids inside
the body of a sea animal must be at the same pressure as that of
the water outside it； the two pressures must balance each other；
and the body； instead of being crushed in； may be unconscious that
it is living under a weight of two or three miles of water。 But so
it is； as we gather our curiosities at low…tide mark； or haul the
dredge a mile or two out at sea； we may allow our fancy to range
freely out to the westward； and down over the subaqueous cliffs of
the hundred…fathom line； which mark the old shore of the British
Isles； or rather of a time when Britain and Ireland were part of
the continent； through water a mile； and two； and three miles deep；
into total darkness； and icy cold； and a pressure which； in the
open air； would crush any known living creature to a jelly； and be
certain that we shall find the ocean…floor teeming everywhere with
multitudinous life； some of it strangely like； some strangely
unlike； the creatures which we see along the shore。
Some strangely like。 You may find； for instance； among the sea…
weed； here and there； a little black sea…spider； a Nymphon； who has
this peculiarity； that possessing no body at all to speak of； he
carries his needful stomach in long branches； packed inside his
legs。 The specimens which you will find will probably be half an
inch across the legs。 An almost exactly similar Nymphon has been
dredged from the depths of the Arctic and Antarctic oceans； nearly
two feet across。
You may find also a quaint little shrimp； CAPRELLA； clinging by its
hind claws to sea…weed； and waving its gaunt grotesque body to and
fro； while it makes mesmeric passes with its large fore claws； …
one of the most ridiculous of Nature's many ridiculous forms。
Those which you will find will be some quarter of an inch in
length； but in the cold area of the North Atlantic； their cousins；
it is now found； are nearly three inches long； and perch in like
manner； not on sea…weeds； for there are none so deep； but on
branching sponges。
These are but two instances out of many of forms which were
supposed to be peculiar to shallow shores repeating themselves at
vast depths： thus forcing on us strange questions about changes in
the distribution and depth of the ancient seas； and forcing us；
also； to reconsider the old rules by which rocks were distinguished
as deep…sea or shallow…sea deposits according to the fossils found
in them。
As for the new forms； and even more important than them； the
ancient forms； supposed to have been long extinct； and only known
as fossils； till they were lately rediscovered alive in the nether
darkness； … for them you must consult Dr。 Wyville Thomson's book；
and the notices of the 〃Challenger's〃 dredgings which appear from
time to time in the columns of 〃Nature；〃 for want of space forbids
my speaking of them here。
But if you have no time to read 〃The Depths of the Sea；〃 go at
least to the British Museum； or if you be a northern man； to the
admirable public museum at Liverpool； ask to be shown the deep…sea
forms； and there feast your curiosity and your sense of beauty for
an hour。 Look at the Crinoids； or stalked star…fishes； the 〃Lilies
of living stone；〃 which swarm