what a fine view we have of the sea here? and yet how high we still are above it."

The descent now became more rapid; and Agnes ran down the remainder of the road, which, after various windings at last conducted them to the beach. When they reached it, and looked back at the cliffs, they found the scene very striking. A long, almost perpendicular line of rocks spread along, as far as they could see, occasionally jutting out almost to the sea, and then falling back in deep bays. The face of the cliff was of a pale brown, or yellow ochre colour, streaked with a deeper or red shade. After looking around for a few minutes, Agnes cried, "Mamma, do you remember that scene in the Antiquary, where Isabella and her father are surprised by the coming in of the tide, and in great danger of being drowned? I think it must have been in such a place as this."

Mrs. Merton was about to reply, when Agnes's attention was attracted by some curious-looking wicker-work cages which lay in a heap at the end. of the terrace on which they had been walking. "What can these be?" cried she. A boy who was lying beside them, and tying them together with

pieces of string, looked up in her face, without disturbing himself, and answered, "They are lobster-pots."

"Pots!" repeated Agnes: "I think they are more like baskets than pots. And why are these snails put in them?"

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They 're the bait," said the boy, without even looking at her this time.

"what enormous

"Do look, mamma," said Agnes, snails! And here is a large flat snail like that Susan found for me in the kitchen, only it is such a great deal larger."

Fig. 17.

"That shell was placed among the snails by Linnæus," said Mrs. Merton; "but it is now called Planorbis. Look what a horny, almost transparent, shell it has. I believe it is sometimes called the Horny Snail. It does not live in the sea; but it is found in ditches, or any stagnant water that is nearly dry in summer. When attacked, it emits a dark reddish liquid, to hide itself from its enemies, by rendering the water so dark that it cannot be seen."

M

"How clever!"

"Instinct teaches many molluscous animals to do the same. The Violet snail emits a beautiful lilac fluid; and the Cuttle-fish a liquid as black as ink. But this is not all that I have to tell you about the Planorbis it lays its eggs upon a leaf, where they look like those of the spider, or some kind of insect." "Look, mamma! Here is another shell quite different from the Planorbis."

Fig. 18.

THE MARSH-SNAIL

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It is different in shape, but it is nearly allied in other respects, for that is the Marsh-snail or Lymnea. Some of the species of this genus crawl with their backs downward along the under surface of the water, if I may so describe it, just as you have seen a snail crawl on a glass; and the species of the genus Phy

sa, which is another little black (Lymnea communis). water-snail, not only creep in the manner I have described, but let themselves down by a thread in the water, just as you may have seen some kinds of caterpillars do on land."

As they strolled along the beach they noticed several immense plants of Sea-rocket, which grew close to the cliffs, and some of the fleshy leaves of which Agnes gathered and ate. "I know I am safe in eating this," said she; "because I see by the four opposite petals of the flower that it is one of the Cruciferæ, or cabbage-tribe, and I know the plants of that tribe are wholesome."

"Take care, however, lest you should some day find that though the Cruciferous plants are eatable they are not always agreeable; for, remember, Horseradish, and some other pungent plants, belong to that tribe but I am glad to find that you have remembered what I told you about the shape of the flowers, which are called cruciferous, or cross-bearing, from their four petals being arranged in the form of a Greek cross.

Agnes now found a specimen of the Star-fish, or five-finger, a species of which she had often seen in Scotland; but she did not attempt to pick it up, as she remembered that one she found at Dunbar began to decay before she could reach the inn. She stood, however, looking at it, and her mother, who told her these Star-fishes were usually only caught

in the Northern seas, made her remark its mouth, or rather the opening to its short bag-like stomach,

THE STAR-FISH, or FIVE-FINGERS (Asterias Glacialis).

which is placed in the very centre of the rays, and the numerous holes through which the creature could project its feet, having the power of shortening or