,illustration                           
,,beach ,,rambles                       
,,in ,,search ,,of                      
,,seaside ,,pebbles                     
,,and                                   
,,crystals4                 ,,with      
,,some ,,observations ,,on ,,the        
,,origin ,,of ,,the                     
,,diamond ,,and ,,other ,,precious      
,,stones4                               
,,by                              ,j4   
,g4 ,,francis4                          
,,london3                               
,,routledge1 ,,warne1 ,,and ,,routledge1
                            ,,farringdon
 ,,street2                     ,,and    
#ef1 ,,walker ,,street1 ,,new ,,york4   
#ahei4     ,,introduction4   ,there is a
 pleasure to an intelligent mind in     
discovering the origin1 or tracing the  
past history1 of any natural object as  
revealed in its structure and growth4   
,it is thus that the study of trees and 
plants1 ferns and field flowers1        
occupies and delights us4 ,and a similar

 interest would be found to attach to   
,seaside ,pebbles1 as one branch of     
mineralogy1 if we could once come to    
observe and understand them4  ,but while
 the marine shells of ,england have been
 all numbered and classified1 and even  
the seaweeds are emerging out of dim    
confusion into the order of botanical   
arrangement1 there is no popular work   
extant on the subject of our pebbles4   
,dr4 ,mantell1 indeed1 published an     
elegant little volume1 entitled         
8,thoughts on a ,pebble20 but he therein
 treats of a single species1 the        
,choanite2 whereas1 we have other fossil
 creatures beside ,choanites preserved  
in the heart of siliceous pebbles2 and  
our shores yield from time to time      
varieties of agate and jasper1 differing
 from the oriental1 and some of them of 
great beauty4  ,in the present treatise1
 an attempt has been made to commend    
this subject to more general attention1 
by grouping together many scattered     
facts and methodizing the results4      

,learned disquisitions and technical    
terms have been as much as possible     
avoided2 but in the concluding chapters1
 sundry interesting points in natural   
philosophy bearing upon the subject are 
handled rather more scientifically2 and 
here1 some original matter will be      
found4  ,the coloured plates are after  
drawings by a well-known and ingenious  
artist2#a the original specimens being  
in my own collection4 ,they have been   
carefully and faithfully executed1 and  
are on the same scale as the pebbles    
themselves4  ,if this essay of mine     
should induce any one possessed of      
ampler leisure and more adequate powers 
to enter more largely upon the merits of
 the theme1 ,i shall be indeed          
gratified4                              
,j4 ,g4 ,,francis4  ,isle of ,wight1    
#ahei4  #a ,m4 ,w4 ,s4 ,coleman4        
,,beach ,,rambles1 ,,etc41 ,,etc4       
,,chapter ,i4      ,,aspect ,,of ,a     
,,beach1 ,,and ,,its ,,probable         
,,origin4--,,true ,,nature ,,of ,,the   

,,pebbles ,,which ,,compose ,,it4   ,i  
know of few things more pleasant than to
 ramble for a mile along one of our     
southern beaches in the early days of   
autumn4 ,we get the sniff of the        
sea-breeze2 we see prismatic colours    
dappling the water1 or curiously        
reflected from capes of wet sand2       
solemn1 beetling cliffs1 broken here and
 there by a green slope1 rise on one    
side of us2 while1 on the other1 we are 
enchanted by the wild music of the      
waves1 as they dash noisily upon the    
shingle at our feet1 and then trickle   
back with faint1 lisping murmurs into   
the azure gulf4  ,alpine scenery is     
majestic1 and river-lit landscapes are  
delicious2 but they seem as pictures of 
still life compared with the stir and   
resonance of the shore and the ocean4   
,the breeze which bends the standing    
corn does not impart so much pleasure as
 that which dimples the bay at the foot 
of our rustic garden2 the thunder-cloud 
resting on a mountain is not so         

impressive as that huge wall of inky    
blackness1 which seems as if it would   
choke the very light and air while it   
gathers on the horizon1 but will        
presently rend asunder and purify the   
overcharged atmosphere by launching a   
tempest upon the face of the deep4      
,there are few persons who1 after       
spending one or two consecutive summers 
at ,eastbourne1 or in the ,isle of      
,wight1 can repress an ardent longing to
 visit similar scenes from time to time4
  ,the sea-side stroll has1 however1    
been accused of monotony4 ,but this is  
either by really incompetent judges1 or 
by inveterate sportsmen1 to whom the    
neighbourhood of the ocean suggests     
nothing more apposite than a meet with  
harriers on the downs1 or a raid upon   
puzzled rabbits in some outlying warren1
 with the aid of a keeper1 ferrets1 and 
8varmint0 dogs4 ,to such1 even a brief  
sojourn on the simple-featured coast    
may1 undoubtedly1 prove wearisome2 but  
the fault rests with themselves4 ,for1  

all the while1 others1 who are better   
informed and more awake to what lies    
around them1 will be cheerfully occupied
 in kindred pursuits at the foot of the 
cliff1 or away on the beach1 or far out1
 at low tide1 among the weedy rocks and 
sand4 ,here they hunt the cockle and the
 razor-shell1 collect bright alg and    
marvellous zoophytes1 or search for     
agates and fossils among the endless    
heaps of shingle4  ,the delicate actini 
and the rarer sea-weeds cannot be       
obtained in winter2 but the pebbles1    
which are intended to form the subject  
of this little book1 may always be met  
with2 and the changes induced by rough  
winds and surging tides1 yield them in  
even greater abundance4  ,the pleasure  
of collecting pebbles has been greatly  
enhanced1 to my mind1 by considering how
 it is that we come to have pebbly      
beaches at all4 ,inevitable as these may
 appear to some people1 they are quite a
 phenomenon in their way1 and to the    
full as deserving our attention as the  

colony in a rabbit-warren4  ,originally1
 the land alone possesses such          
materials2 but it is the sea which finds
 them out2 and these two facts1 put side
 by side1 have sometimes reminded me of 
the arbitrary allotment of the sexes in 
the old mythology4 ,oceanus being an    
enterprising gentleman4 ,terra 7always  
feminine7 is the quiescent lady1 to whom
 he pays his court4 ,she carries a      
prodigious number of these treasures in 
her flinty bosom2 but it is only he1 and
 his friends the rivers1 who can get at 
them and draw them forth4 ,in our       
,english ,channel1 ,ocean is as fond of 
doing this1 and of fringing his         
waterline with a brown pebbly border1 as
 other gentlemen are1 now-a-days1 of    
wearing1 if possible1 a beard like that 
of the ,sophi4 ,nor is this surprising1 
when we remember that all creatures     
naturally desire something which they   
have not got4 ,for the bottom of the sea
 itself is no beach at all1 but chalk or
 sand1 and sometimes hardened sandstone1

 with1 ,i dare say1 many precipitous    
pits and hollows1 and many pointed      
crags4 ,here1 gigantic fronds of the    
oar-weed wave to and fro among thousands
 of acres of dulse and bladderwrack2    
while porpoises and dog-fish dive1 and  
limpets and mussels crawl1 and arrowy   
lobsters shoot through the cerulean     
gloom1 and 7if ,mr4 ,tennyson may be    
believed7 mermen and mermaids play at   
hide-and-seek4 ,wonderful things there  
must be1 if we could only spy them out2 
but ,i do not think many pebbles4       
,whereas1 our mother ,earth teems with  
these latter4 ,there are jaspers in the 
conglomerate1 and agates in the mountain
 rocks1 and veins of porphyry and       
serpentine in the trap and basalt1 and  
garnets and sapphires in the granite1   
and flint-nodules in the chalk1 and     
quartz-crystals almost everywhere4      
,probably these exist1 also1 in many of 
the submarine strata2 but unless a      
volcanic eruption should occur1 there is
 no force in operation there to dislodge

 them4 ,the bed of the ocean1 and all   
depths of it below a hundred feet       
perpendicular1#b as divers well know1   
remain calm and still1 even when a      
tempest is raging above4 ,but on what we
 are pleased to call 8terra firma10 the 
case is reversed4 ,solid as the ground  
appears1 all is subject to elemental    
change and motion2 and whenever the     
waves of the sea or the strong current  
of a river can plough some crumbling    
chine1 or wear away the face of a cliff1
 down come the imbedded pebbles and     
crystals1 and gradually form a beach    
upon the margin of the ocean4 ,and this 
beach is tossed up and down1 and rolled 
to and fro1 until most of the stones    
composing it have become as smooth as   
hazel-nuts4  ,the above may be rather a 
rough sketch of the source of a beach2  
but ,i believe it is correct in its     
leading features4 ,in a subsequent      
chapter we may better note certain      
peculiarities which are more than meet  
the eye4  ,but what are the pebbles     

themselves8  ,most persons have         
occasionally handled specimens of the   
precious stones or 8gems20 but few of   
them1 perhaps1 are aware that our       
pebbles of the road-side and sea-shore  
claim a common origin with these        
dazzling crystals4 ,such is1 however1   
the fact4 ,chemical analysis1 availing  
itself of the blow-pipe1 the solvent    
acids1 and the voltaic battery1 has     
succeeded in determining the base of    
every known gem4 ,and the earths which  
furnish such bases are chiefly          
two--,,alumina1 or clay1 and ,,silica1  
or pure flint4 ,from these1 with an     
admixture of lime1 and sometimes of     
iron1 in small quantities1 all the      
native gems are derived1 with the       
exception of the diamond1 whose base is 
,,carbon4  ,intensely hard as these     
substances are1 and apparently not      
susceptible of change if left to        
themselves1 they have probably passed   
through great chemical changes in the   
silent laboratory of ,nature4 ,for it is

 supposed that our operations in        
analysis1 if carefully conducted1 merely
 bring back their subjects1 by a kind of
 reversing process1 to their several    
primitive bases4  ,now it is evident    
that the commoner pebbles are derived   
from these same earths1 of clay or      
flint1 albeit in a debased condition4   
,for there is nothing else of which they
 could be made3 neither do they exhibit 
any properties foreign to those which   
such substances possess4 ,yet1 how vast 
is the difference between an oriental   
gem and the brightest production of     
clay-pits or granite rocks4 ,not        
greater1 however1 than that between     
,damascus steel and coarse pig-iron2 or1
 between ,french lawn and sail-cloth4   
,and if ,art can work such distinctions1
 why not ,nature8  ,in fact1 a perfect  
gem is a master-piece which chemistry   
and crystallization have combined to    
elaborate1 and which man has ransacked  
the corners of the earth to obtain4 ,the
 deep has been made to surrender its    

treasures to the diver or the sunken    
net3 the rock has been blasted1 and its 
inmost vein searched3 the rushing river 
filtered1 and its sand sifted3 and the  
contents of the jeweller's caskets are  
the result4 ,here may be seen diamonds  
from ,golconda2 and rubies from         
,samarcand and ,pegu3 sapphires1        
emeralds1 and amethysts from ,persia1   
,arabia1 and ,armenia3 the topaz1       
blazing like fire1 from the ,indies or  
from the ,ural3 the turquoise1 with its 
delicious blue1 from ,arabia and        
,palestine3 the opal from ,honduras3 the
 blood-red garnet and amandine from     
,bohemia1 ,ceylon1 and ,greenland3 the  
jacinth and the chrysoprase1 the        
chrysolite and beryl1 with pure pearls  
of globular form1 all from the land of  
the rising sun1 while a deep brown      
jasper1 rayed with stripes and rings as 
black as jet1 has travelled like a      
wandering palmer from sultry ,egypt or  
the terrible desert of ,sinai4  ,to form
 and perfect the finer crystals1        

extremes of heat or cold appear to be   
necessary3 whereas our clime has perhaps
 always been temperate4 ,beside this1 it
 is probable that the mother-earth is   
not found pure with us4 ,there is a kind
 of white clay1 called 8kaolin10        
obtained in one particular quarry near  
,meissen in ,saxony1 and met with       
nowhere else4 ,from this clay the       
exquisite ,dresden porcelain is baked1  
and this clay cannot be exactly         
imitated4 ,a near approach to it has    
been made by mixing good potter's clay  
with pounded chalcedony-flints2 but     
still the biscuit so produced is never  
equal to that from the 8kaolin40 ,in    
like manner1 we may suppose that the    
peculiar earth which exists in sapphires
 no longer occurs in our post-tertiary  
clay-beds4  ,moreover1 we know that     
there are many different clays occurring
 in our geological strata4 ,we have the 
clays of the ,lower ,tertiary2 the clay 
of the ,wealden2 and the ,kimmeridge and
 ,oxford clays1 both of which belong to 

the ,oolite4 ,also in these main        
divisions1 sundry mineralogical         
varieties are comprised under a common  
name4 ,but the great age of the granite 
formation renders it certain that from  
none of these clays could those         
sapphires have come 7as to their base71 
which are born of the granite rock4     
,indeed1 our existing beds of clay are  
more or less mingled with felspar1 and  
felspar is one of the 8silicates20      
whereas the blue sapphire is pure       
alumina free from all admixture of      
silica4  ,however this may be1 the great
 fields for gems are in ,india and the  
island of ,ceylon1 and in certain parts 
of the ,russian dominions4 ,no very     
valuable stones have as yet been        
obtained from ,australia2 although the  
vicinity of gold-mines has always been  
held to be prolific in at least one     
kind3 the 8mother of ruby0 being a      
roseate substance embedded in the rock1 
and generally met with alongside of a   
vein of gold4 ,the topazes are not equal

 to those from ,saxony4  ,as to our own 
sea-girt ,isle1 it is surely as         
guiltless of indigenous gems1 as of     
white elephants or birds of paradise4   
,had any such existed with us1 they must
 long ere this have been brought to     
light and appeared in the market4 ,we   
have bored the plain to two hundred     
fathoms' depth3 we have pierced the     
hillside in tunnels which extend for    
miles3 geologists and antiquarians have 
delved and hammered and sifted3 many    
curious fossils have turned up1 and a   
world's wealth in minerals1 but never   
anything like a diamond or an oriental  
sapphire4  ,it is well that1 to console 
us under such apparent poverty as to the
 gems1 we possess the treasure an       
hundred-fold in other shapes1 though    
derived from the same sources4 ,clay    
gives us no sapphires2 but it floors our
 ponds and canals1 furnishes our        
earthenware1 and yields the bricks which
 have built the ribs of ,london4 ,carbon
 refuses to flash upon us in the rays of

 an indigenous 8brilliant10 but it feeds
 our furnaces1 propels our steamers and 
locomotives1 and cheers a million of    
household hearths under the well-known  
form of ,coal4 ,and ,iron is our        
national sceptre3 it reddens here no    
jacinth or ruby2 but it supplies us with
 spades and ploughshares1 lays down     
thousands of miles of railway1 and has  
made ,england the forge and workshop of 
the known world for giant engines and   
massive machinery4  ,if our wealth be   
less dazzling than that from ,golconda  
or ,peru1 it is1 we may hope1 more      
durable2 flowing to us through a        
healthier channel1 by the honest labour 
and steady perseverance of the sons of  
the soil4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,this is somewhat of a     
digression from the subject of ,sea-side
 pebbles4 ,but then1 as was said1 the   
magnificent crystals are their near     
kindred2 and in society the custom is to
 bring in any great connections we may  
have1 on the first fair opportunity3    

that once done1 our respectability is   
supposed to be established4  #b ,on the 
banks of ,newfoundland1 and to the south
 of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1           
extraordinary exceptions occur to this  
rule2 the sea being there agitated to a 
vast depth1 perhaps as much as five     
hundred feet4 ,but this is probably     
connected with the current of the great 
gulf-stream4     ,,chapter ,,ii4        
,,the ,,lapidary',s ,,board2 ,,and ,,his
 ,,workshop4   ,in some of our          
provincial towns along the coast1 the   
open door and cheerful bow-window of the
 lapidary1 generally situated in the    
best street1 form a coup d'il which can 
hardly fail of enticing a visitor to    
look in once during his morning walk4   
,if he should do this1 he will probably 
become aware1 by a certain whirring     
sound1 that there is an inner room which
 serves for a workshop4 ,this latter ,i 
have always been partial to3 but as the 
contents of the show-room are the most  
attractive1 ,i will speak of them first1

 reserving to the end of the chapter a  
description of the lapidary's wheel and 
other implements of his trade4  ,let us 
suppose that we are in the pretty town  
of ,sidmouth in ,south ,devon4 ,somebody
 wishes for a jet bead to replace one   
missing from a bracelet1 and we sally   
forth in quest of a jeweller's shop1 but
 come first upon that of his cousin the 
lapidary1 which may probably do as well4
 ,entering the doorway1 a gigantic      
8snakestone0 from ,whitby1 flanks the   
threshold on one side2 and on the other 
a lump of iron ore1 of some two hundred 
weight1 keeps company with a quartz     
agate of equally cyclopean dimensions4  
,these are striking objects3 and        
instinctively we pause for a moment and 
consider whence they came4 ,one of them 
has been washed out of the ribs of the  
conglomerate3 another1 after being dug  
from the bowels of the earth1 was sent  
aloft by the miners as lumber3 the      
third1 once the shell of a living       
ammonite1 must have lain for thousands  

of years in its cemetery of limestone   
rock1 and was only disinterred when some
 northern contractor1 reckless probably 
of fossil remains1 but wide-awake to the
 actualities of his own generation1 was 
excavating for a railway tunnel4 ,inland
 productions these1 for the most part4  
,but the threshold is only introductory3
 pass a few steps onward1 and we shall  
handle substances which are as strictly 
marine as 8crassicornis0 or tangle4     
,the interior of the shop is fitted up  
with a massive semicircular dresser of  
elm or maple1 some four feet in height1 
and perhaps half as many in width4 ,this
 is heaped with specimens culled from   
various beaches1 and several convenient 
shelves are similarly adorned2 the      
polished stones lying in open trays1 but
 set at an angle so as best to reflect  
the light4 ,the eyeless head of a       
,saurian1 a creature belonging to an    
extinct race1 is suspended from the     
ceiling2 and a stuffed cormorant1 a     
well-known sea-bird of our own day1     

mounted on a rude tripod of fir-bough1  
fills the only spare niche in the       
apartment4 ,but there is no study or    
affectation in all this3 it is as       
genuine as the tent of shipwrecked      
,crusoe4 ,the lapidary has from the     
first felt himself at home with ,nature1
 and has found room for many of her     
devices and eccentricities1 which he    
could not now bear to turn out of doors4
 ,neither are we inclined to quarrel    
with him about his arrangements1 though 
his shop exhibits nothing which will    
remind us of a frontage in ,pall ,mall  
or ,bond ,street4 ,moreover1 when we    
look a little closer1 he is not such a  
mere dreamer after all4 ,commerce has   
not been forgotten1 nor is a certain    
kind of elegance lacking4 ,those        
well-washed panes of crown-glass are    
decorated with wisps of dried sea-weed  
more delicate than ostrich-feathers1 and
 which serve the purpose of a           
hygrometer4 ,and1 interspersed with     
these1 are sundry nuggets of amber1     

bones of the cuttle-fish for your       
pounce-box1 and a string of veritable   
jet-beads3 from which latter we at once 
select our purchase4  ,but we are now   
standing before the central counter1 and
 our attention is drawn to the curious  
and beautiful fossils which lie upon it4
 ,we take up one to which the late ,dr4 
,mantell kindly gave the name of a      
8choanite40 ,in doing this1 he not only 
adopted a foundling1 but conferred      
endless benefit upon the lapidaries4    
,nothing will sell in this country      
without a name3 the appellation chosen  
by the ,doctor was judged suitable1 and 
a large and increasing sale of the      
fossil has followed upon it4 ,this one  
is of a portly size2 and the lapidary1  
after slicing it in two1 has polished   
one of the flat surfaces4 ,the internal 
structure revealed by this section is   
not unlike the corolla of a daisy1 and  
at once reminds us of the living        
zoophyte called 8actinia bellis40       
,choanite means 8funnel-body30 and the  

creature which lies here petrified must1
 when alive1 have been globular or      
pyriform1 with many tubular arms        
branching out from one central trunk4   
,the petrifaction has been faithful to  
its prototype3 the several tubes being  
now charged with limestone1 and the     
space between them1 once a gelatinous   
substance1 still retaining that         
appearance in a medium of semi-pellucid 
chalcedony4  ,illustration3 ,,alcyonium 
,,digitatum4  ,by the side of the       
choanite is another fossil1 which we now
 call an 8alcyonite30 the learned name  
of the nearest living species being     
8alcyonium digitatum40 ,it is known in  
the ,isle of ,wight as 8deadman's       
fingers40 ,despite the above unpleasing 
nickname1 this is a most beautiful      
fossil4 ,its outer form resembles that  
of a branching ice-plant3 while a       
polished section of one of the stems    
shows filaments all lying in the        
direction of the axis1 and exhibiting in
 their cut ends an effect not unlike    

that of the granulations in a slice from
 a fresh cucumber4 ,when the pith1 as   
sometimes happens1 is particoloured1 ,i 
do not know a more desirable stone for  
the cabinet4  ,fine specimens of this   
are now very scarce4  ,another of these 
alcyonites has been polished all round1 
instead of dividing it3 and the pebble  
being translucent1 one can almost count 
the fibres or tubes disposed lengthwise4
  ,then we have a zoophyte1 not injected
 as are the choanites1 but preserved    
bodily1 in delicate gray flint4 ,it is  
an undoubted 8actinia30 in every respect
 the same with those pulpy individuals  
who are displaying their jelly-like     
bodies and floral hues in many a        
household aquarium4 ,this creature once 
floated up and down in shallow marine   
pools1 or clung to banks of ribbon-weed 
fringing the coast-skerries4 ,at        
present1 himself of stone1 he is firmly 
wedged in a hollow within a large       
pebble1 and reminds us of the words of a
 pretty song3--      8,i dreamt ,i dwelt

 in marble halls40  ,several silicified 
sponges may next be examined4 ,these are
 not exactly beautiful1 but they are    
curiously intricate2 the once elastic   
tubes having stiffened into 8silex0 of a
 light brown colour1 and a horizontal   
section displaying their fine           
reticulations4  ,a step further1 and    
what is that handsome stone8 ,it is a   
block of ,devonian jasper3 scarcely so  
hard as the ,egyptian1 but more         
attractive1 owing to the richness of its
 hues4 ,it is striated with veins of    
agate1 and here and there 8shot0 with a 
dark metallic 8moss0 of the colour of   
bloodstone4 ,as a set off to this1 the  
lapidary has arranged with true taste   
some quaint pieces of conglomerate1 in  
which the nodules of chalcedony or      
crystals of quartz have taken a high    
polish1 and are agreeably relieved by   
streaks of red jasper and blotches of   
yellow limestone4  ,another part of the 
board exhibits a score of the well-known
 8echini10 which children call          

8sea-eggs40 ,these embrace two          
varieties1 8spatangus0 and 8cor         
anguinum20 or1 in the vernacular        
dialect1 8fairy-loaves0 and             
8fairy-hearts40 ,a third form of the    
,spatangus kind1 but with a pointed     
cusp1 is called 8,galerites             
albogalerus40 ,a few are chalcedonized3 
in others1 a bright spar has filled up  
the interior of the hollow conical      
shell4  ,illustration3 ,,ananchytes     
,,ovatus4 ,,fairy ,,loaf4  ,,cor        
,,anguinum4 ,,fairy ,,heart4            
,,galerites ,,albogalerus4 ,a ,,fairy   
,,loaf4  ,,ammonite4  ,a small open tray
 of twisted card contains several bits  
of carnelian1 and a true bloodstone from
 the ,yorkshire coast3 while on a strip 
of canvas as a lit de repos1 lie a      
cray-fish and some belemnites from the  
,gault formation of the ,wight1 hemmed  
round by lustrous sharks' teeth3 the    
latter now hardened into stone1 and     
proclaiming by their isolated condition 
that the jaws in which they once grew   

were cartilaginous1 and have therefore  
perished4  ,thus the store of the       
lapidary comprises two main divisions1  
stones organic and inorganic1 of the    
past history of the latter we know      
little2 and can only judge by surmise1  
upon approved geological principles4 ,in
 the former1 there occur plain          
indications that we are not handling    
either an accidental 8lusus0 or an      
embryo2 but that the structure here     
perpetuated was once endowed with life1 
and belonged to a creature having its   
assigned place in the scale of animated 
being4  ,let any one fill a drawer with 
such specimens gathered by himself3 and1
 omitting the question of mere          
marketable value1 what jeweller's       
counter can compare with it for real    
interest8 ,the oriental gems1 though    
they gleam as if 8all air and fire10 are
 but dead crystals1 and have never stood
 higher than they stand now3 whereas    
these pretty fossils from our           
wave-beaten coast tell each a wondrous  

tale1 and form a kind of tangible link  
between the zoophyte of to-day and his  
far-removed ancestry in the earliest    
seas which washed the surface of our    
globe4  ,illustration3 ,a ,,cray-,,fish1
 ,,from ,,the ,,gault4  ,a ,,shark',s   
,,tooth4  ,but let us now look into the 
back-parlour1 where all the cutting and 
polishing takes place4 ,a peep behind   
the scenes is generally instructive4    
,the first time ,i ever entered such a  
8sanctum10 ,i remained there nearly an  
hour2 asking questions1 you may be sure4
  ,the lapidary works by means of       
wheels4 ,these wheels are instruments   
for sawing and filing the stones which  
come under his hand3 he has nothing to  
add to them1 but a good deal to take    
away from them4 ,when any one divides an
 orange with a sharp knife equatorially1
 he treats it as a choanite is treated  
in the simplest case3 but the principle 
is somewhat different4 ,the knife may   
cut the first as smooth as cheese1 owing
 to the superior hardness of the steel  

and the compressibility of the fruit3   
but no instrument that man can invent   
will ever do this with a substance like 
flint or jasper4 ,all that the wheel can
 do is to act like a saw1 and to take   
out from the centre of the pebble1 in   
the shape of saw-dust1 a section equal  
in thickness to the wheel itself4 ,if   
this be effected1 and no more1 then that
 part of the work is perfectly done3 and
 this is not effected1 without some     
fault1 once in a dozen times1 unless the
 workman be both skilful and attentive4 
,the usual fault is1 that the plane of  
section is not kept perfectly           
horizontal4  ,but let us now see how the
 wheels act4 ,there must always be two  
of them3 one which is to cut by its     
edge1 and another which is to polish by 
its surface4 ,but the lapidary is       
generally provided with several of both 
kinds2 partly in case of accident1      
partly on account of variety in the     
texture of the pebbles brought to him4  
,each wheel is fixed upon an axis of its

 own1 of perhaps a cubit's length4 ,and 
this portable axis is bevelled as a     
screw1 for some inches1 at the other    
end1 so that it can be screwed at       
pleasure into a solid revolving spindle 
planted upright in the floor of the     
workshop4 ,the spindle itself may either
 be worked by a leathern strap and a    
treddle2 or1 as is more usual1 by a     
winch-handle acting at a mechanical     
advantage4  ,the horizontal wheel being 
made to spin round by turning the winch 
with one hand1 the workman grasps the   
pebble firmly in the other1 and presses 
it against the edge of the disk1 which  
revolving in a horizontal plane acts    
like a saw4 ,a pencil-line may first be 
drawn on the stone1 to mark out the     
intended section4  ,but this is not all4
 ,a dry wheel1 although it were formed  
of the finest steel1 could barely       
scratch the surface of an agate3 or1 if 
great force were exerted at the winch1  
would splinter it4 ,the lapidary has    
need of diamond-powder1 emery1 and      

rotten-stone4 ,he makes use also of a   
peculiar kind of oil1 and has a jar of  
water within reach for ordinary         
purposes4 ,the oil is called            
8brick-oil40 ,it comes from coal-tar1   
and does not heat by friction1 as common
 oil would3 consequently1 it neither    
burns the operator's fingers1 nor       
injures his specimens by causing the    
wheel to glow too fiercely4 ,of the     
above materials1 the most expensive is  
the diamond4 ,although obtained by      
crushing 8bort10 of little intrinsic    
value1 it never costs the lapidary less 
than twenty-five shillings per carat2   
and he can do nothing without it4       
,emery1 on the other hand1 which is a   
coarse variety of corundum1 is cheap    
enough4  ,the first wheel put on the    
spindle is an extremely thin one1 it can
 scarcely be too thin1 and is made of   
tin or of the softest steel4 ,its disk  
should lie exactly level in the plane of
 the horizon1 and it must not have the  
shadow of a notch or bend upon its      

delicate edge4 ,this wheel the lapidary 
wets1 along its entire rim1 with oil or 
water1 by means of a feather4 ,a small  
portion of the diamond1 ready mixed with
 oil1 is then applied to the edge of the
 wheel1 the latter being made to revolve
 gently1 until it has taken up the      
mixture from his finger4  ,the wheel    
thus primed is now set in motion1 at    
first slowly1 but by degrees more       
rapidly1 and the pebble being steadily  
pressed1 not pushed1 against it1 the    
diamond eats into the metal1 and the    
metallic edge armed with an adamantine  
tooth eats into the solid stone1 and at 
length saws it asunder4  ,in this way an
 agate of a couple of inches diameter1  
and of average hardness1 will be neatly 
divided in less than a quarter of an    
hour4  ,the two surfaces thus obtained  
are then inspected1 and if the stone be 
judged worthy1 the lapidary proceeds to 
polish either or both of them4 ,there is
 always some difference between the two1
 a slice having been taken out of the   

pebble answering to the thickness of the
 wheel2 hence the importance of using a 
delicate disk1 especially for valuable  
agates4  ,to accomplish the polishing1  
the thin wheel of steel is now exchanged
 for a much thicker one of lead1 which  
takes its place upon the spindle4 ,it is
 no longer the edge1 but the ribbed     
upper surface which is now to do the    
work2 and to charge it for this1 it is  
smeared over with rotten-stone dipped in
 water4 ,this heavy wheel is then set   
spinning at a rapid rate1 and the pebble
 is pressed flat upon it with great     
force2 the heavier the hand the better4 
,as it slidders about1 the action of the
 rotten-stone1 which is very fine in the
 grain1 gives it by degrees a high      
polish4 ,and this polish is durable1 and
 will preserve the agate from the       
corroding effect of our atmosphere4     
,less than the above will not dress a   
pebble for the cabinet4 ,occasionally1  
much more is needed4 ,for a very fine   
jasper ,i have seen two or three        

polishing wheels employed1 the last disk
 being always loaded with soft          
rotten-stone4  ,as to the expense1 it   
will cost from sixpence to ninepence to 
cut a small pebble through2 and to      
polish one surface1 perhaps as much     
more4 ,this is supposing that you take  
your specimens direct to a working      
lapidary4 ,if1 instead of doing so1 you 
leave them at a jeweller's shop with    
directions to get them done1 you may    
expect to be charged fully twice as     
much4 ,nor is this so unreasonable as it
 sounds2 for the man so deputed acts as 
your servant and will look to be paid   
for his trouble3 he must have recourse  
to the lapidary1 and you might at once  
have done so yourself4  ,to dress a     
large pebble1 especially if a difficult 
stone in the grain1 is a more costly    
affair4 ,it demands many consecutive    
hours of labour and unremitting         
attention1 and involves a perceptible   
outlay in diamond4 ,moreover1 the weight
 of such a stone causes1 by its vis     

inerti1 a severe strain on the          
machinery1 which then fares like an     
engine drawing a monster-train up the   
inclined plane4 ,this wear and tear of  
the wheels is so serious a consideration
 in provincial towns1 where the supply  
of 8plant0 is limited1 that few         
lapidaries out of ,london will          
undertake1 for any reasonable sum1 to   
dress the agates and close-grained      
jaspers when they run large4  ,one of my
 jaspers1 a ,devonshire beauty1 took    
eight hours of cutting and polishing in 
,clerkenwell2 and even this was a trifle
 compared to some of which ,i have heard
 tell4 ,certain substances again are    
intrinsically teasing to the wheel4     
,there is a class of jaspery flints     
which have a dodge or twist in their    
texture2 the lapidary abhors these      
visitors1 and will not meddle with them1
 if he knows it1 without bargaining for 
extra pay4  ,i have a great pleasure in 
seeing fine pebbles of my own polished4 
,you can stop the wheel every now and   

then1 and watch how the stone gets on4  
,when the chiaroscuro begins to come out
 on the coloured pattern1 the effect is 
like that produced by holding some      
lively object before a mirror4 ,the     
surface no longer appears flat2 but you 
obtain arial perspective1 as in a good  
painting4  ,it were vain to deny that   
the lapidary's acquaintance might in    
time prove an expensive amusement2 for  
pebble-hunting is a hobby1 and like all 
hobbies is liable to be over-ridden4    
,but experience begets caution4 ,for a  
score of stones which a tyro will leave 
on the board to be cut1 a connoisseur   
will not venture above two or three4    
,beginners1 however1 always run some    
risk1 being naturally enthusiastic2 and 
the best way for them is to lay down a  
few sound rules1 and to adhere to these 
strictly4 ,one good maxim is1 to pay for
 all work upon the spot4 ,even an       
enthusiast will soon grow weary of      
parting with ready money for mere trash4
  ,some persons set up a wheel1 c41 of  

their own1 and operate upon their       
treasure at home4 ,i do not recommend   
this course to any one1 unless he were  
the son of a lapidary1 as ,achilles was 
8son of ,peleus10 and intend to devote  
himself to the occupation4 ,for most    
amateurs it will be found difficult4 ,it
 is five to one that a young hand       
signalizes his apprenticeship by        
spoiling his best agates1 cutting his   
fingers1 and damaging his machinery4    
,the only advantage1 as far as ,i know1 
which such a plan may possess1 is that  
you might try some curious experiments  
in working at odd pebbles4  ,a          
lapidary's implements1 if complete as   
they ought to be1 will cost him from    
seven to ten pounds4 ,about five pounds'
 worth of diamond is a very good        
commencing stock4 ,five pounds more will
 fit up his shop with a counter and     
drawers to lock1 and his work-room with 
a table1 stool1 hammers1 a few cloths1  
and a good lens4 ,this is all that he   
requires1 besides knowledge and         

patience4  ,suppose the entire outlay   
should amount to twenty pounds2 in a    
good watering-place1 on the south coast 
of ,england1 he ought to make from a    
hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds a 
year1 without doing any night-work4 ,but
 by day he must not spare hands nor     
eyes3 and he cannot afford to make any  
serious mistakes with his customers4 ,if
 he cuts a fine choanite the wrong way1 
or mutilates a rare alcyonite1 or robs a
 promising 8landscape-pebble0 of its    
pellucid sky1 it is well-nigh over with 
his professional reputation2 and that   
once gone1 he will get little custom of 
value4 ,when ,i was last in ,ventnor1   
the sea had thrown up some singularly   
fine pebbles for several successive     
tides4 ,three working lapidaries rented 
houses in the town2 but all the more    
valuable orders went to one of them4    
,this man knew admirably well how to    
handle almost any stone which was       
brought to him2 while his two brethren  
in the craft1 though both of them       

hard-working men1 were comparatively    
ignorant4 ,they were like quack-doctors1
 and he was a learned professor4        
,,chapter ,,iii4      ,,the ,,contents  
,,of ,a ,,good ,,beach1 ,,and ,,how ,,to
 ,,obtain ,,them4   ,i have always been 
fond of trying conclusions with ,nature 
at first hand4 ,when a boy at school1 ,i
 learnt to swim by following some bigger
 boys1 who could swim already1 into     
water which was quite out of all our    
depths4  ,i had never till then tried1  
except in shallow places1 which1        
whatever people may think1 afford no    
criterion of how it will fare with you  
in a drowning current4 ,on this occasion
 we swam about fifty yards1 in ten-foot 
water1 not without trepidation at first 
on my part1 but towards the end ,i      
gained breath and confidence4 ,after    
that1 ,i never had any difficulty1      
whether in lakes or rivers1 and ,i have 
ventured into scores of them at all     
seasons1 and that without the slightest 
previous notice of their depth or       

temperature4  ,in like manner1 ,i am    
convinced that to master anything1      
whether bodily or intellectual1 the     
all-important point is to make a genuine
 effort of our own4 ,books may do       
something for us2 teachers1 if we can   
afford them1 something more2 but we must
 do the main part ourselves4  ,i am     
reminded of the above in proposing to   
describe a good beach4 ,a lapidary once 
said to me1 8,sir1 you know this bit of 
the coast as well as ,i do myself40 ,it 
was a high compliment1 but it was not   
unmerited4 ,the truth is1 ,i possess    
8memoranda10 jotted down from time to   
time1 of divers beaches and their usual 
contents1 and ,i find that1 omitting all
 mention of bare reefs in shale and     
sandstone1 or long reaches of sand1     
which are of continual occurrence1 there
 remain some forty odd miles of shingle 
lying in three different parts of the   
,english coast1 with the character of   
which ,i am thoroughly well acquainted4 
,some of these beaches are very superior

 to others1 and ,i select such for      
description4  ,amid countless boulders  
of flint1 and heaps of hardened gravel1 
we have upon a good beach certain       
smooth1 translucent pebbles1 and we have
 fossil petrifactions enveloped in an   
opaque crust1 and we have the variegated
 jaspers and moss-agates4  ,our         
semi-pellucid stones were1 with the     
exception of an occasional bit of       
8bloodstone10 the only pebbles of native
 growth known in ,britain half a century
 ago4 ,they consist of two or three     
varieties of agate1 two of carnelian1   
and one of the crystal called an        
aquamarine4 ,the presence of this latter
 on the coast is a mere accident1 as it 
is for the most part a far-inland       
production1 the growth of granitic      
rocks4  ,agates and carnelians were once
 of frequent occurrence1 but they have  
now become scarce4 ,their brilliancy    
insures their being instantly seen1 when
 not buried under the loose shingle4    
,,agate1 with us1 is always found       

smooth1 and some of the best specimens  
are indented on the sides1 as if they   
had been subjected to a pinch or        
pressure while in a soft state4 ,as this
 substance is not met with under the    
spiked form of a crystal1 we may suppose
 that it never was crystallized4  ,it is
 not laminar1 like the diamond1 nor     
coated1 like a pearl1 but one simple    
concretion4 ,it contains some alumina1  
but more silica1 and is probably one    
form of the onyx-stone4 ,it is seldom   
very bright1 being more or less debased 
with earthy particles1 but it is a      
pretty thing to pick up1 and it takes a 
high polish on the wheel of the         
lapidary4 ,i believe it is harder than  
jasper1 but perhaps scarcely so tough4  
,in ,england1 we find the agates        
greenish white1 lemon colour1 or dark   
grey2 and on the island of ,iona1 hard  
by the ruined monastery1 they are picked
 up of a soft green hue1 and as clear as
 a chrysolite4 ,the best lump of agate  
,i ever saw came from an unfrequented   

bay in the ,isle of ,wight2 the colours 
were dullish1 but in texture it         
approached an oriental onyx1 and it     
weighed above a pound4 ,i know of no    
equal specimen in the collection of the 
,british ,museum4  ,,carnelian1 which is
 our purest form of chalcedony1 is      
undoubtedly a more beautiful stone than 
the agate4 ,this is either milk-white or
 of a deep red4 ,the latter tint is     
becoming scarce in ,britain1 having been
 much sought out for the manufacture of 
seals and ring-stones1 but now that     
8sards0 are so much in vogue1 the real  
carnelian may get a respite and appear  
in force again1 as salmon have sometimes
 been known to do in their native       
streams after falling off for many      
years4  ,the 8sard0 may be considered as
 the carnelian of the desert1 or the    
8carnelian0 as the sard of the seashore4
 ,sards are plentiful in the east4      
,travellers1 whose path lies over the   
waste plains and sandy reaches of ,egypt
 or ,lybia1 should pick up any          

darkly-tinted pebble they may descry on 
the surface of the ground3 it is        
probably a sard1 perchance a valuable   
specimen4 ,one day1 in homely ,brighton1
 stepping into a lapidary's1 ,i found   
upon his counter half-a-dozen           
unusual-looking stones already cut in   
two1 and some of them polished4 8,these 
are not ,english10 said ,i1 8where did  
you get them80 ,he told me1 in reply1   
that a gentleman just arrived from      
,egypt had taken these stones out of the
 mouth of his carpet-bag and left them  
with him to be dressed4 ,i examined them
 closely4 ,as ,i had expected1 on       
learning the locality1 one was a        
blood-red sard1 and two others were     
jaspers2 a fourth was curiously mottled 
and ribbed with chalcedony4 ,they had   
been obtained without any expense1 and  
at no trouble beyond that of stooping to
 pick them up1 and all four were very   
saleable articles in the trade4  ,the   
finest red carnelians are brought from  
the ,east1 but they occur also in       

,silesia1 and splendid specimens of a   
dark hue have been obtained from the    
sands of the ,rhine4  ,in ,scotland1 on 
the beach of ,st4 ,andrew's1 ,i found a 
pretty variety1 8eyed10 but it is       
scarce4 ,i have since seen similar      
stones1 which had been picked up at     
,cromer or at ,aldborough4  ,the        
,,aquamarine is sometimes met with on   
the sea-shore at ,aberystwith in ,north 
,wales1 and more rarely on our eastern  
coast4 ,of course it is a crystal1 which
 has come down from the inland rocks1   
and has afterwards been rolled smooth by
 the action of the waves among other    
pebbles4  ,the base of all our ,english 
crystals is ,silica1 with an admixture  
of lime4 ,rock-crystal is the purest    
form of ,silica4 ,common spar is a      
carbonate of lime4 ,the black or grey   
flints1 which are shed in myriads from  
many a chalk-cliff1 are 8,silex0 much   
debased2 some dark1 viscous matter1 such
 as bitumen1 having united1 ,i think    
chemically1 with the clearer substance4 

,quartz are the small crystals of       
silica2 a mass of these will vary in its
 configuration4  ,cairngorum stones are 
rock-crystals from the mountain of that 
name1 deeply impregnated with iron and  
aluminium4 ,the claret-coloured ones1   
found on ,ben ,m',dhui1 are our nearest 
approach to an amethyst1 and some       
deep-red specimens remind us of the     
garnet4  ,as ,i propose here to speak   
only of our sea-shore pebbles1 ,i shall 
not dwell upon the ,scotch crystals1    
which are1 moreover1 familiar to almost 
everybody in the ornaments of tartan    
dresses4 ,neither shall ,i touch upon   
the fluor spars of ,derbyshire1 or the  
magnificent crystals found in the mines 
of ,cornwall and ,cumberland4  ,all     
these belong to crystallography1 and ,i 
am persuaded that1 in our productions of
 the seaside1 a crystallizing process   
has been the exception and not the rule4
 ,i will only add to what is said above1
 that1 as far as ,i know1 amidst the    
great range of tints comprised in the   

different crystals from ,scotland and   
from ,ireland1 there is no instance of  
the peach-colour or delicate pink1 such 
as are picked up on some of the         
8moraines0 on the ,alps of ,savoy4      
,secondly1 such parts of our coast as   
are hemmed in by cretaceous or sandstone
 cliffs abound in fossil pebbles4 ,the  
organisms which these inclose are1      
almost universally1 those of zoophytes4 
,dendritic or vegetable markings are    
rare1 occurring principally in the white
 chalcedony4 ,a good pebble of this kind
 used to be called a mocha-stone2 the   
difficulty always was how to be quite   
sure where it came from4 ,those from the
 ,indies would generally be handsomer2  
while1 on the other hand1 an equally    
fine specimen from our own shores would 
be of treble value4  ,but the           
petrifactions described in ,chapter     
,,ii4 may be readily obtained throughout
 the entire range of coast from         
,hastings to ,selsea ,bill1 and further4
  ,in gathering these pebbles1 if you   

intend them for the cabinet1 and not    
merely to amuse a passing hour1 regard  
should be had to three points2 the size1
 the pattern1 and the colour4 ,the      
last-mentioned1 which is1 nine times out
 of ten1 the cause of average specimens 
being seen at all1 will itself be       
determined by the material of which the 
pebble consists4 ,chalcedony has a      
bluish cast in the solid stone1         
especially when it is wet with brine2   
but where 8moss0 is present1 this will  
cause a golden or red tint4 ,jasper1    
when semi-transparent1 is greenish1     
otherwise1 a blood-red4  ,as to size1   
choanites and the globular 8sponges0    
will vary from that of a small pippin to
 that of a full-sized orange4 ,very     
rarely they exceed this4 ,if the pebble 
be of the right sort1 the larger the    
better3 but1 as a general rule1 the     
finer ones run small4  ,the pattern is  
the most important feature2 as you will 
soon recognize in making a collection4  
,and this1 moreover1 if no injury has   

yet been done to the stone1 decides the 
8contour0 of the rolling beauty4  ,i    
shall not1 however1 say much about these
 patterns2 not wishing to be charged    
with exaggeration1 as ,i probably should
 be1 by those who have never seen good  
ones1 and who do not conceive of the    
endless varieties into which four or    
five colours can thus be wrought in the 
stony loom of ,nature4  ,amateurs must  
learn for themselves what these really  
are1 and how to judge of them           
scientifically1 when they pick up a     
fossil weighing1 perhaps1 a pound       
avoirdupois1 and looking like a         
champion-potato4 ,one or two hints may  
be ventured4 ,if the creature was an    
8alcyonite10 its facsimile in stone     
should have the external rings or mouths
 clearly defined1 and1 if possible1     
equi-distant4 ,such a one1 when cut1    
will exhibit its tubes evenly           
disposed--not unlike a section of       
fir-wood under the microscope4 ,if it   
was an 8actinia10 then the body of the  

zoophyte should be central in the       
pebble1 and the tentacles will be not   
much melted away in a good slice4       
8,sponges0 must be chosen principally   
for their colour2 in other words1 for   
the texture of the stone4 ,those which  
exhibit the reticulations1 white or     
straw-colour1 upon a very dark ground1  
are the most effective generally3 but   
the most perfect one ,i ever saw had a  
blood-red pattern upon white4 ,for a    
single slice from this stone1 half a    
guinea was offered by me1 and refused4  
8,choanites0 are easily discerned4  ,the
 8ventriculite0 must have been a        
creature lower down in that scale than  
the choanite4 ,this fossil is repeatedly
 met with on our coast1 but ,i do not   
admire it enough to have retained a     
single specimen4 ,when alive1 it would  
appear to have resembled1 in stature and
 configuration1 an ordinary toadstool4  
,illustration3 ,,ventriculite4          
,,choanite4  ,the choanite was1         
undoubtedly1 a beautiful creature1 and1 

as ten thousand of the family testify1  
abundant4 ,dr4 ,mantell said that its   
form1 when complete1 was that of a pear 
or fig1 and ,i think he obtained such a 
fossil from the ,lewes chalk1 where it  
was growing upright on a stalk1 in the  
way in which he afterwards depicted it4 
,looking over my collection1 ,i see that
 ,i have a similar one1 in black        
chalcedony-flint1 which ,i picked up at 
,shanklin2 only1 in my specimen1 which  
came from the beach1 the delicate stem  
is1 of course1 gone4  ,the complete     
pyriform mound is rare1 for obvious     
reasons4 ,i never saw but three         
instances of it2 the above1 of my own   
finding1 was one4 ,another was in       
pellucid white agate1 spotted all over  
with the ends of the feelers4 ,the      
third1 which ,i also picked up1 had been
 pounded on a rough beach1 and crumbled 
in my hand4  ,choanites and             
ventriculites1 as animals1 are supposed 
to be extinct4 ,perhaps they are so1    
though ,i do not see how any one can    

take upon him to pronounce as to what   
living organisms the great ,southern    
,ocean may or may not contain4  ,the    
creature1 however1 which ,i admire most1
 as perpetuated in these marine fossils1
 is not a choanite1 but an actinia of   
the 8crass0 kind4 ,one of these1 large  
and of a globular form1 in which the    
tubular tentacles are distinctly shown1 
and the colour is yellow in the agate1  
,i found1 in a sequestered spot1 where  
the deep sand must have received and    
sheltered it shortly after it had       
dropped from the cliff4 ,the outer      
whitey-brown crust was unbroken3 and as 
this crust is the cuticle of the pebble1
 and which always wears away first1 ,i  
have no doubt of the specimen being a   
perfect one4 ,it could never have       
undergone a rub1 beyond that from soft  
sand or softer seaweed4  ,lastly1       
striped jaspers and bloodstones are to  
be had for the seeking1 on our          
,devonshire and ,yorkshire coasts4 ,the 
bloodstone is too well known to need any

 description2 neither is there much     
variety or interest in a rush-green1    
spotted with red4 ,but the jaspers      
embrace several other colours1 and many 
lively patterns4 ,south ,devon has good 
ones1 resembling agatized wood4         
,scarborough has good ones1 some of them
 quite equal to the 8weed-agate0 of     
,india4 ,at ,eastbourne1 a dark-brown   
variety is occasionally found1 which is 
highly prized1 because it approaches the
 character of the ,egyptian4 ,fine      
pebbles of this kind are also to be     
obtained in the neighbourhood of ,st4   
,alban's1 in ,hertfordshire1 but they   
are liable to be gritty4  ,beside the   
above1 which are true jaspers1 scores of
 jasper-flints in bright red1 yellow1 or
 green1 occur on almost any beach4      
,these are simply burnt flints1         
containing a portion of oxide of iron4  
,their present condition is probably the
 result of extinct volcanic agency4     
,these are not nearly so hard as the    
true jaspers1 and their fracture is     

8conchoidal40  ,for pleasing the eye1   
perhaps the choicest stone in ,britain  
is a moss-agate1 of which the pretty    
name yields an accurate description4    
,the 8moss0 is some oxidized metal1     
whose ramifications form a striking     
contrast with the limpid chalcedony in  
which it seems to float like seaweed or 
sponge4  ,when a fine specimen of one of
 these stones has been cleverly cut1 it 
is not unusual to obtain in its section 
the principal features of a mimic       
landscape--the clear sky1 and the       
fuscous earth4 ,some1 in addition1      
display a setting sun1 c4 ,such stones  
get the name of 8landscape-pebbles40    
,on the shores of ,loch ,tay1 in        
,perthshire1 remarkable ones are        
found--in which the imaginative         
,highlander fancies he can trace the    
features of his beloved                 
mountain-scenery4 ,great store is set by
 these1 on account of their pattern2 but
 they are mostly in sepia1 and white1   
being never suffused with warm colours1 

as are our marine specimens4  ,i may    
note here1 finally1 that to a true      
connoisseur1 the prettiest moss-agates  
are not so welcome as those which       
exhibit a bold and haggard style4 ,some 
of the ,french pebbles1 from the        
neighbourhood of ,dieppe1 would be very 
fine indeed1 only that they are spoiled 
by an undue quantity of black 8moss10 as
 black as mud4  ,most of the above-named
 treasures may be obtained by any one   
who owns a fair amount of perseverance1 
provided he or she have an eye for      
pebbles4 ,and nobody need be discouraged
 from the search1 who likes them well   
enough to be willing to take a good deal
 of trouble to find them4 ,one-half of  
what are counted difficulties in this   
life have their root and growth in our  
constitutional laziness1 and may be     
overcome by a little energy4 ,we have   
all of us an eye for ripe cherries and  
red roses1 why not for pebbles8         
99       99       99       99       99  
,let me now state in a few brief        

paragraphs the merits of the case4      
,people say there is luck in all things4
 ,it may be so1 once or twice2 ,i never 
knew it hold for a continuance4 ,a      
course of practical experience in almost
 any department of life will bring a    
sure quietus to such crude fancies4     
,the searcher after pebbles must look to
 more sterling qualifications4 ,he      
should have good legs1 good eyes1 good  
judgment1 and--,i may as well say it at 
once--a good temper4 ,he should choose a
 likely part of an unfrequented beach3  
and should go down at the right hour1   
somewhere about half-tide1 when the tide
 is running out4  ,it is as well for him
 to walk with the sun a little behind   
him1 and on one side2 and ,i would      
recommend him1 if possible1 to avoid    
entertaining a north-easter in his      
teeth4  ,then he should be suitably     
rigged for the expedition4 ,if he has   
ever fished salmon1 he will need no     
wrinkles here3 but in case not1 ,i may  
specify the following4 ,strong          

ancle-boots1 with double soles and on   
real hob-nails1 and a stout woollen sock
 within2 rough trowsers1 which he will  
not grudge damping in the brine2 and a  
coat of fustian or tweed1 with ample    
pockets4 ,when the season is wintry1 add
 to these a warm wrapper for the neck2  
and1 in one of his pockets1 a ,cording's
 india-rubber cape with sleeves4 ,a     
water-proof cap1 with a curtain to it4  
,no umbrella1 no stick2 but a light     
geologist's hammer2 and a canvas-bag1   
worked with open meshes1 for the heavier
 specimens1 which otherwise he would    
have to carry in his hand4  ,if he is   
going far1 and it is as well to count   
upon eight or ten miles from home1 let  
him carry a flask of any liquid he likes
 best to imbibe2 together with a hunch  
of bread and cheese4 ,n4,b4 ,this will  
be found more sustaining than a         
meat-sandwich4 ,lastly1 a few mild      
cigars1 not omitting the usual          
implements for striking a light sub dio4
 ,the fragrant weed is always a cheerful

 companion1 and doubly welcome when your
 path lacks flowers3 moreover1 it has   
historical associations1 which cabbages 
have not1 and will bring to mind ,sir   
,walter ,raleigh1 who was a great man4  
,the above rules concerning the toilet  
will hold good for the fair sex1 mutatis
 mutandis4 ,only in addition1 ladies    
should engage some stalwart arm to lean 
upon2 and should on no account venture  
themselves among slippery rocks4 ,as for
 those knights and esquires who         
accompany the gentle dames on such a    
quest1 they must look to themselves4 ,i 
cannot now stop to warn them of their   
peculiar peril2 but they know what ,i   
mean4 ,it was among the ,ocean-isles    
that ,briseis led captive the stern son 
of ,peleus4  ,above all1 let the        
,pebble-searcher have nothing on his    
mind when he sets forth3 no broken      
engagements1 no crying debts4           
,otherwise1 he may look in vain for     
moss-agates4 ,shakspeare1 when he has to
 account for a valiant warrior and      

politic general1 a crowned king to boot1
 losing the great battle of             
,bosworth-field1 ascribes it all to the 
ghosts who sat heavy on his soul4 ,any  
neglected or injured creature may prove 
on such occasions a vengeful ghost4     
,supposing your hours free1 the best are
 those in which the daylight is most    
powerful3 say1 from ten in the morning  
until four in the afternoon2 or1 to take
 things in moderation1 from eleven to   
three4 ,a beaching expedition made thus 
with determinate purpose1 once or twice 
in the course of six days1 ,i hold to be
 reasonable diversion2 and for matter of
 interest1 ,i know of no out-door       
pursuit which excels it1 not even       
,insect-catching1 or ,fly-fishing4  ,the
 above hints being attended to1 one     
important point remains still to be     
considered4 ,it is absolutely necessary 
to understand pebbles in the rough4     
,the more peculiar a beach is in its    
contents1 the less will it exhibit to   
catch the eyes of one who has never     

learnt to appreciate them4 ,coloured    
seaweeds are enticingly bright2 pearly  
shells are as evident as trinkets2 but  
the external coat of a genuine pebble   
differs widely from its internal        
structure1 and may yield to the         
uninitiated no indication whatever of   
the value of the latter4 ,a crust of    
hardened lime or sandstone is a frequent
 envelope of the best specimens in one  
kind of zoophyte4 ,the stone itself is  
very likely mis-shapen1 and perhaps lies
 more than half buried in sand or       
shingle4 ,without knowing anything of   
the nature of these fossils1 you may    
occasionally pick up such 8darkies0 at a
 venture2 but you will never feel       
assured of them1 you will never be able 
to glean them from the multitudinous    
gravel1 as the determined ,fly-fisher   
gets the best trout out of a pool1 if   
you have not the pleasure of an intimate
 acquaintance with their species4 ,the  
readiest way of acquiring this1 and it  
is not born with anybody1 is to spend a 

wakeful half-hour1 once and again1 at   
the board of any civil lapidary1 and    
there thoroughly to inspect his casual  
store4 ,a trifling purchase will        
abundantly content him in return1 the   
more as he hopes to cut several pebbles 
for you4  ,observe1 then the peculiar   
way in which the outer crust of an old  
pebble is worn1 as compared with that of
 one which has newly descended upon the 
beach4 ,this crust or cuticle is highly 
suggestive1 if you can once come to     
understand it2 and as a hopeful         
indication of progress1 you may safely  
assume that you do understand it1 when  
you find that you can obtain pebbles    
such as nine persons out of ten somehow 
never 8have the luck0 to meet with4     
,sometimes a stone has parted with its  
original coating1 and has donned        
another3 and this operation may either  
be complete1 or still in fieri4 ,in the 
latter case1 there will always be some  
token2 either by the substance not lying
 evenly1 or by a change in the colour of

 the second envelope1 which becomes     
apparent on chipping off a fragment from
 its surface4  ,lose no opportunity of  
perfecting your judgment upon any form  
or texture that comes in your way3 for  
upon this will really depend what sort  
of collection you shall win from the    
bosom of the coy beach4 ,nothing is     
easier1 on an average coast1 than to    
pick up a score of showy-looking but    
inferior stones4 ,few things will be    
found more difficult than to bring home1
 as the fruit of your morning's walk1   
two or three valuable specimens4 ,and   
the cause of this lies not at all in    
luck1 nor altogether in mere labour2 for
 in all departments there are dunces who
 will still drudge hard4 ,it lies in the
 presence or absence of sound           
information on the subject4  ,a good    
rule is1 even early in your             
apprenticeship1 to eschew trumpery4 ,but
 beware of hasty conclusions4 ,some     
collectors will take nothing away with  
them from the beach which they do not   

feel quite sure about4 ,this is shallow 
practice1 for it assumes an amount of   
discernment which nobody possesses4 ,i  
can see as far into a stone wall in this
 sense as most people2 but ,i rather    
like to carry off occasionally an       
odd-looking stone which1 like           
,bassanio's happy casket1 8rather       
threatens than doth promise aught40     
,such a pebble may turn out a prize4    
,the things which every one should      
reject without hesitation are those     
whose character is evident1 and with it 
their little worth4  ,mediocrity in     
pebbles is insufferable4 ,do not assume 
that the wet portion of a beach         
necessarily yields the best chances4    
,many pebble-hunters never get over this
 early delusion4 ,on a coast which is   
rarely trodden1 the upper range contains
 the richest store4 ,and in every case1 
the tide runs twice in the twenty-four  
hours over banks which now look dry and 
dusty1 as well as over that narrow strip
 which you see glistening with saline   

moisture4 ,and while you cannot fail to 
remark a pellucid stone or fossil which 
is sprinkled by the wave1 if your       
attention is caught by anything lying   
high and dry1 the latter is probably    
worth stooping for4  ,walk rapidly over 
a poor1 unproductive beach2 but take    
your time and make good use of your eyes
 when you find you are in the land of   
plenty4  ,if you carry a hammer with    
you1 let it be of the right sort2 a     
well-tempered metal1 not too large to   
stow away in a hind-pocket1 and not     
armed with a spike4 ,when you have such 
a one1 it is tolerably safe to strike   
even a heavy blow on a large pebble in  
your other hand2 but if you do the same 
by a small one1 you may chance to maim  
your left palm for life3 because in this
 case there is little reaction1 and the 
blow you deal will drive the stone4 ,but
 even with large pebbles1 the preferable
 method is to plant one foot firmly on  
the stone1 leaving a portion exposed to 
your aim4 ,if your boots are of a       

sensible thickness1 nothing will come to
 grief4  ,never dash pebbles down upon  
others in order to break them open4 ,in 
the first place1 you risk a wound in    
your face from the rebound of a fragment
 in what mathematicians term the 8angle 
of reflexion10 an angle which you have  
probably not calculated2 but besides    
this1 you may by such imprudence destroy
 a valuable specimen4 ,you can open     
plenty of fossil flints and waterworn   
jaspers in the manner ,i have           
recommended above2 which knocks off a   
corner1 and shows you the true nature of
 the formations you are walking upon4 ,i
 have learned a good deal in this way4  
,lastly1 when you are landed upon a     
superior beach1 with the promise of a   
few hours of open weather1 use the      
golden opportunity and do your best4    
,solomon was quite right when he said1  
8,whatever thy hand findeth to do1 do it
 with thy might40 ,it is evident that if
 you do not in foro conscienti think    
such a hobby worth the while1 you ought 

not to meddle with it4 ,i quite agree   
that making shoes is more profitable1   
provided always that you have custom2   
although ,i have known more than one    
instance of working craftsmen who at    
intervals picked up some very good      
pebbles too4  ,the above rules may sound
 marvellously simple4 ,i only wish that 
a few as simple were generally acted    
upon4 ,we might then hope to see some   
noble collections of really instructive 
pebbles from our as yet little known    
sea-coast4     ,,chapter ,,iv4          
,,which ,,be ,,the ,,best ,,beaches ,,in
 ,,england4--,,concerning ,,stationary  
,,and     ,,movable ,,shingles4   ,the  
variety exhibited by ,nature seems to be
 almost infinite1 take what ground we   
will for observation and comparison4    
,this has been frequently noted in both 
the animal and vegetable departments of 
,creation4 ,i believe it to be no less  
true of the mineral1 especially when we 
embrace under that head fossil remains4 
,if there be any feature in ,british    

scenery which to a cursory observer     
appears uniform and identical           
everywhere1 it is the yellow-looking    
beach along the coast line4 ,yet it will
 be found on trial that our beaches     
differ widely from each other4 ,no two  
are quite alike4 ,devonshire is not more
 diverse from ,yorkshire1 or ,norfolk   
from the ,isle of ,wight1 than are their
 respective beaches1 as to what these   
contain4  ,nay more3 on the range of the
 ,sussex coast--a very monotonous       
range--,i am acquainted1 at this present
 time of writing1 with four beaches1    
which ,i do not scruple to pronounce    
totally different one from another4 ,if 
,i were shown the pebbles1 ,i could     
generally tell from which quarter they  
came4 ,but to become aware of variety1  
you must observe certain admitted facts4
 ,the frequenters of our coast-scenery1 
not one-tenth part of whom can plead the
 sad excuse of being invalids1 usually  
know but little of the character of a   
beautiful beach lying in their          

intermediate neighbourhood4 ,ordinarily 
speaking1 a man will be better informed 
concerning the plains of the ,pampas1 or
 the windings of the ,coppermine ,river1
 than he is upon the nature of the soil 
which is under his feet1 or of the bough
 which hangs over his head in the       
forest4 ,and the reason of this is      
obvious2 we neglect the reality for the 
sake of the appearance4 ,we greedily    
devour certain stereotyped works as a   
kind of royal road to knowledge2 but we 
omit to notice and inquire into the     
sensible objects which are strewn along 
our daily path4  ,of course1 we pay the 
penalty in kind4 ,two-thirds of our     
8book-knowledge0 is merely conceited    
ignorance2 not the genuine gold1 fit for
 current coin1 but a baser metal washed 
over1 which will stand no one in stead  
for long4  ,i will now describe         
accurately three beaches which occur in 
three different counties4 ,any one who  
makes their acquaintance hereafter1     
especially if in quest of pebbles1 will1

 ,i believe1 recognize the original of  
each sketch4 ,one of them now lies far  
away2 but to think of them is like      
dwelling on the still vivid impressions 
of a dream4  ,i am in a district of the 
,new ,red ,sandstone1 and as far as my  
eye can reach ,i see towering cliffs of 
a kindred formation1 wheeling round or  
jutting out in foxy-coloured masses1    
while the innumerable points of shingle 
glow like an autumn stubble at their    
feet4 ,i commence searching near the    
bright water-line1 and what with the    
simple grandeur of the scene1 and what  
with the balmy breath of the south1 ,i  
insensibly stray onward for several     
miles1 until the increasing weight in my
 pockets suggests a pause4 ,now ,i will 
sit down under the shadow of that       
mid-way rock1 light a cigar1 and inspect
 my treasures4  ,no sooner said than    
done4 ,what a calming sensation a whiff 
of good tobacco induces on these burning
 days6 ,but what have ,i got8 ,above    
thirty globes of chalcedony1 blue and   

white1 as oval as bantams' eggs4 ,i     
select half a dozen on account of some  
beauty or peculiarity1 and fling the    
remainder into the sea1 there to undergo
 a fresh impregnation4 ,next1 sundry    
bits of the red and white conglomerate4 
,let me advise everybody who has the    
opportunity1 to pick this up4 ,when     
sliced and polished1 the surface        
obtained beats the inlaid work of a     
cabinet-maker all to nothing4 ,next1 a  
couple of choanites1 one in the dark    
8rag10 ribbed like sea-weed2 the other  
in pretty light-brown moss-agate4 ,these
 two go into my breast-pocket for       
safety4 ,lastly1 what has never been out
 of my hand since ,i found it--a huge1  
knotted jasper-agate1 of five pounds'   
weight4  ,i will only add that the beach
 here described is a first-rate one in  
its way1 although not my absolute       
favourite4 ,i had1 however1 never seen  
it before1 and have never visited it    
since2 moreover1 ,i had not a hammer    
with me1 nor any refreshment beyond a   

cigar1 after tramping over many miles of
 deep shingle2 consequently1 ,i do not  
suppose ,i did justice to the contents  
of that bit of coast4  ,but where am ,i 
now8 ,two hundred miles away1 and the   
scene is changed4 ,i have just rounded a
 headland1 on whose summit the ripening 
corn-field is waving and gleaming like  
the tuft on the head of a woodpecker4   
,dizzy precipices of chalk stand like   
sugar-loaves against the blue sky1 here 
and there cleft in a tortuous1 yawning  
chasm4 ,beneath1 the beach seems to     
slumber1 so gentle is that lisping      
murmur1 where the long billowy swell    
washes the face of the skerries1 and    
lifts up and down their heavy fringe of 
tangle like a giant's beard4 ,two hours 
are mine1 as we mortals reckon1 before  
,i am expected at the evening meal4     
,this time ,i have my hammer with me--no
 clumsy carpenter's tool1 which might   
rend or splinter1 but a tempered steel4 
,i did but walk a couple of miles in    
all4 ,i found sundry pieces of perfectly

 white agate1 one of which proved good  
enough for a seal4 ,i broke open a score
 or two of jaspers1 and was rewarded at 
last by a fine slab of the rich brown   
7quasi-,egyptian74 ,then ,i hunted up   
from the shingle a pocketful of         
8sponges10 and a choanite in dark purple
 flint1 which is rare4 ,and then time   
was up1 and scaling the cliff by a      
well-known gap and pathway1 ,i returned 
home to crab-pie and a cup of tea1 and  
the welcome of a dear1 kind face4 ,this 
part of our coast is much visited now by
 pebble-seekers4  ,now ,i have crossed a
 channel of the sea1 and have looked    
upon the mighty three-deckers1 and all  
the flower of the yachtery of ,england2 
and ,i have strolled through a smart    
modern town1 and have passed a          
meditative half-hour in a very ancient  
village1 and then1 at a sharp turn1 ,i  
have quitted the high-road1 with its hot
 milestones1 and picked my way through a
 blossoming lane where the nightingales 
were singing2 and ,i have scrambled over

 the edge of a snipe-bog1 and hurried   
past the mouth of a diluvian estuary1   
and here ,i am1 stretched at full length
 on the choicest bit of beach in all the
 realm of ,queen ,victoria4 ,in front of
 me are soaring pinnacles of chalk1     
ribbed and dotted with primeval flints1 
like the gun-muzzles in an upper deck4  
,behind me rises another barrier1 formed
 of the dark 8greensand20 and on one    
side1 for the space of a mile1 these    
lofty brows have dipped and disappeared1
 that the red edge of the wealden might 
crop out from a wide tract of rush-grown
 water-meadows4 ,through the heart of   
these latter steals a rivulet1 beloved  
of stray wild-fowl1 but not tenanted by 
anything so lively as a trout4  ,the    
position of this beach is all that can  
be desired1 and its contents will not   
disappoint expectation4 ,it has         
sometimes reminded me of one of those   
angular nooks formed externally by the  
converging hedges of a cover and a crop1
 where you are sure to meet with the    

hares and pheasants which have come out 
to feed on your wheat-stubble or        
turnips4 ,here1 however1 instead of the 
scuttling game1 you must look for       
matchless pebbles4  ,often as ,i have   
paced this charming strand1 the occasion
 of my first stepping upon it was pure  
accident1 as1 indeed1 are some of the   
pleasantest turns in life4 ,i remember  
one summer's day1 when the solid cliffs 
seemed to be pulverizing under the heat1
 and the air-vessels in exposed sheaves 
of bladderwrack were splitting and      
popping like crackers1 ,i found four or 
five specimens within a couple of       
hundred yards which ,i have never since 
surpassed1 seldom equalled4 ,two of     
these were deep red choanites1 conveying
 the idea1 not of dull 8oxide10 but that
 the animal's blood had suffused the    
agate2 another was a particoloured      
madrepore1 another1 a moss-jasper4      
,this bay1 however1 possesses peculiar  
advantages4 ,in addition to the fossils 
which drop from time to time out of its 

own overhanging cliffs1 it is fed in a  
remarkable manner from other sources4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,until of late years1 ,sussex has been  
the usual resort of those who desired to
 collect pebbles for the cabinet4 ,the  
capabilities of this coast vary with    
every twenty miles4 ,the ,brighton beach
 was once famous for the supply of      
8landscape-pebbles20 but in the lapse of
 years its fecundity has been sadly     
impaired4 ,the best chance remaining now
 is that of an occasional waif during   
the ,march winds on the sweep fronting  
,brunswick ,terrace1 and for about half 
a mile toward ,shoreham4  ,bognor has   
long reefs of rock at low water1 and1 by
 the usual rule1 it ought to yield      
petrified sponges2 for ,i think that1   
generally speaking1 the locality        
determines the animal4 ,but the         
infirmity of the ,bognor shore is1 that 
its pebbles are chafed and worn to      
skeletons by the furious storms which   
assail this unprotected coast in winter4

 ,no fossil with a delicate constitution
 can long withstand the effect of these 
gales and plunging seas4  ,off          
,beachey-head1 in the other direction1  
is found a variety which ,i have not met
 with elsewhere4 ,the specimen shown to 
me was vermicular2 the creature1 which  
had perhaps been a 8sabella10 lying in  
distinct coils1 not unlike macaroni1 in 
the blue agate4 ,this pebble was a very 
large and perfect one2 and the man who  
had picked it up1 and paid perhaps      
half-a-guinea for the dressing of it1   
was desirous to realize a five-pound    
note4 ,i wish much that it had found its
 way to the ,british ,museum4 ,there is 
no stone there resembling it4  ,at ,deal
 and ,ramsgate1 8fortification-agates0  
may be readily met with1 and sometimes a
 bit of carnelian3 but this last1 bright
 and homogeneous1 is rare4 ,the         
,hastings beach is mainly worn out4     
,aldborough1 in ,suffolk1 was wont to be
 famous for its coloured agates2 and    
,fifeshire1 and part of ,forfarshire1   

for eyed jaspers3 but many years have   
gone by since ,i visited either of these
 counties1 and ,i would not venture to  
speak with confidence concerning their  
actual beaches now4  ,very good pebbles 
are picked up at ,cromer2 and1          
occasionally1 carnelians1 both red and  
white4 ,felixstowe1 a little lower down 
the coast than ,aldborough1 abounds in  
yellow agates1 some of them beautifully 
translucent1 and rivalling the carnelian
 in smoothness of texture4 ,at          
,scarborough1 remarkable specimens both 
of the agates and jaspers are obtained  
by those who know where to look for     
them4 ,filey has the same charms for    
enticing strangers to wander onwards    
along its pretty coast4 ,indeed1 all the
 ,yorkshire beaches deserve and will    
repay a visit1 both in fossils and      
transparencies4  ,carnelians are        
peculiar stones as to their habits1 if  
,i may use such an expression in        
speaking of inanimate substances4 ,it   
were absurd to doubt that plenty of them

 still haunt our ,english coast2 but    
where they manage to hide themselves has
 often perplexed me4 ,the method of     
searching for them is as follows4       
,instead of keeping the sun behind you1 
he should now be full in front1 like a  
candle in your eyes4 ,but you must not  
look at the sun3 you must look along the
 surface of the beach2 and whenever a   
bit of carnelian peeps out from the     
shingle1 you will at once descry it1    
owing to the position of the great      
light4  ,i tried this once at ,blackgang
 ,chine for three-quarters of an hour1  
and in the course of that time ,i filled
 both my waistcoat-pockets with red     
bits4 ,it is true1 none of these were   
larger than pudding-raisins1 and some of
 them scarcely more brilliant2 still1   
the search was very diverting4 ,if the  
shingle had not been unusually damp1 ,i 
might have lain down every now and then 
and looked along its surface2 in which  
case ,i should1 doubtless1 have         
succeeded better4  ,the mention of      

,blackgang leads me to speak of the     
,isle of ,wight1 as the choicest        
storehouse for this kind of fossils in  
,britain4         99       99       99  
99       99  ,if it be true1 as some    
geologists aver1 that the pearly        
8,vectis0 was at one time joined on to  
our ,hampshire coast1 from which it     
afterwards broke off like a loose morsel
 from the side of a cake1 that would go 
far to explain the abundance and beauty 
of its organisms4 ,for1 upon such a     
separation from the mainland1 the       
industrious sea would have great        
opportunities of denuding the face of   
the cliffs and sucking the orifices of  
the chines4 ,also1 this circumambient   
sea is peculiar in its character        
hereabouts2 and the crystallizing waves 
impart an unusual lustre to rolling     
agates and jaspers4  ,the beaches of the
 ,wight are circumscribed in extent1    
which is a great relief after the       
interminable ranges on the ,sussex      
coast4 ,the difference is as great as   

that between a quiet forenoon spent in  
the museum in ,jermyn ,street1 and the  
laborious distractions experienced if we
 pass a similar interval of time amidst 
the endless rooms and innumerable cases 
on the first floor of the ,british      
,museum4  ,the village of ,sandown1 from
 the flag-staff on as far as ,red ,cliff
 and ,culver1 exhibits a tempting and   
instructive shore4 ,in winter1 it is    
better to commence at the dyke1 and end 
with ,red ,cliff2 but in summer1 you may
 walk the whole range with advantage4   
,here1 a couple of hours may be taken to
 as many miles2 and if you do not shut  
your eyes1 you must fill your pockets4  
,but look with resolution for good ones4
  ,from ,sandown to ,shanklin1 in the   
opposite direction1 it is scarcely      
inferior4 ,it was once even better2 but1
 lying so near at hand1 it has been     
unceasingly hunted over2 and to look for
 a fine pebble there now1 is almost like
 hoping to find a hare sitting in your  
kitchen-garden4 ,many tons' weight of   

beautiful fossils have been gathered    
within the compass of a morning's walk  
here1 in the last few years4  ,at the   
foot of ,shanklin ,chine occurs a       
singular collection of limestone        
pebbles1 siliceous within1 which are    
well worth examining4                   
,extraordinarily-tinted choanites are   
here sometimes detected in the heart of 
most unattractive and mis-shapen blocks4
 ,i once asked a successful beaching    
lapidary there1 how he knew them8 ,he   
declared that he did not know them at   
all2 but that whenever he saw fresh     
bonzes thrown up1 especially if with a  
deep-sea mark upon them1 he would break 
them all1 and generally obtained a      
superb specimen among them4 ,the        
objection to this murderous process was1
 as he confessed1 that some of the      
finest were wont to be destroyed4       
,latterly1 ,i thought ,i discovered a   
way to recognize the presence of any    
such choanite4 ,it is to look closely   
for a peculiar depression in the stone  

which is connected with the principal   
air-hole belonging to the fossil4 ,but  
this method demands time and care4      
,onwards to ,luccombe1 the beach        
disappears1 owing1 ,i imagine1 to       
immovable depth of sand4 ,at ,luccombe  
,chine1 it partially revives3 but do not
 linger here4 ,go on to ,bonchurch1 and 
as you approach that lovely hillside1   
rouse all your energies4 ,here comes in 
a mile of sand1 small shingle1 and      
half-buried pebbles1 which will put your
 skill to the test1 if skill you have4  
,look out for symptoms of the 8tubular0 
structure1 and diverge now and then to  
the pools among those weedy rocks4 ,many
 a beautiful 8actinia0 in flint lies    
there snug enough1 wedged in a dark     
cranny1 and coated over with glutinous  
moss4 ,you must really not be idle now4 
,do not even light a cigar1 but hammer  
and delve and scrape away2 only do not  
give in until you lay hold of something 
worth the while4 ,two zoophytes1 of the 
agatine-siliceous kind1 were picked up  

on this spot about a twelvemonth since1 
for which large sums of money were      
offered in ,ventnor the same day4 ,for  
one of this sort1 an ,american          
gentleman1 not long ago1 gave eight     
pounds sterling4 ,but there is in       
,brighton1 or was till very recently1 a 
pebble from the ,rottingdean beach1 for 
which fifty guineas have been offered to
 its possessor1 and refused4 ,i have not
 seen it myself1 but ,i am told that it 
is a spotted pyriform choanite2 the     
material1 very beautiful agate4  ,at    
,ventnor1 red gravel and diminutive     
carnelians1 some of them not bigger than
 pins' heads1 await the pebble-seeker4  
,occasionally an agate is found here    
which is 8chatoyant10 like an opal1 but 
this is scarce4  ,i once tried the      
,freshwater strand1 8ultima thule10 but 
,i only met with doubtful1 ragged       
flints4 ,the north side of the island   
presents on its shores a surface chiefly
 of mud and estuary drift1 delightful to
 solans and sea-gulls1 but not          

profitable for the cabinet of the       
mineralogist4  ,i ought here1 in common 
gratitude1 to say something of the      
beauties of the ,garden ,isle4 ,but1    
though some of the happiest hours of my 
life have been passed there1 ,i grudge  
to dilate upon the theme4 ,i could not1 
if ,i would1 convey to a stranger a     
sense of the unutterable attachment     
which ,i feel for its swelling downs and
 curling seaward bays4 ,much of the     
charm of our old ,english scenery1 which
 is fast disappearing elsewhere before  
the railway and the canal1 is still to  
be met with in this sequestered island4 
,here are uncultivated rocky slopes1    
proffering rare wild-flowers2           
ivy-mantled cliffs and moss-grown       
brambles2 bays which in winter witness  
the howling storm1 and sometimes the    
fearful wreck1 but in summer are        
invested with the calm beauty of a      
moonlit lake4 ,the inhabitants also1    
many of them 8aborigines10 have a       
primitive1 unsophisticated character in 

the inland villages2 while1 on the      
coast1 this is chequered by that roving 
disposition and semi-superstitious bent 
which are always to be found among      
sailors4  ,oddly enough1 the story of a 
pebble illustrates this trait of        
character4 ,some years ago1 ,i was      
calling on a lapidary in ,sandown who   
had done a good deal work for me1 and   
done it well4 ,his account was settled1 
and ,i was wishing him good morning1    
when he drew my attention to a          
remarkably beautiful pebble1 ready cut  
and polished1 and begged my acceptance  
of it4 ,now the stone1 displayed on his 
board along with other specimens1 could 
not fail to sell2 and was worth to him1 
,i should say1 perhaps a sovereign4 ,i  
was very unwilling to take it1 but there
 was no refusing without offending an   
old friend2 so it went home in my       
pocket4 ,but somehow curiosity was      
stirred in my mind when reflecting on   
the circumstance afterwards4 ,why should
 he wish to make me a present8 ,or1     

allowing for goodwill taking so         
straightforward a course1 why part with 
a stone of so much moneyed value8 ,a few
 days after ,i dropped in again4 ,my    
friend was out3 but ,i found his wife1  
and stayed for a chat4 ,presently ,i    
referred1 quite cursorily1 to the gift  
which her husband had made me1 8and10   
said ,i1 8,i wish only it had been      
something of less value40 ,the gentler  
sex are sometimes more communicative    
than their mates4 8,ah6 sir10 replied   
,mrs4 1 8there was reason for giving you
 that1 may be4 ,anyways1 ,i'm real glad 
that it's gone from us40 8,indeed6 how  
is that80 8,why1 that stone was an      
unlucky stone for us1 and ,i wished it  
to go1 somehow40 ,then ,i learned from  
her the following singular tale4  ,two  
brothers1 sea-faring men1 were great    
friends of the lapidary and his wife4   
,one day1 one of these brothers found   
this pebble on the beach1 and had it    
cut4 ,it turned out1 as ,i have said1 a 
remarkably fine specimen4 ,it was what  

they call a 8deep-sea0 pebble1 and the  
8choanite0 of a reddish hue lay exactly 
central in the bonze of white limestone4
 ,the sailors were both of them quite   
fond of it3 and when they went to sea   
again1 the handsome pebble went with    
them1 and was laid 8o' nights0 on a     
shelf by the hammock4  ,their boat was  
upset3 one brother was drowned3 the     
other righted the craft and got to      
shore1 not without difficulty4 ,several 
articles were missing1 having gone to   
the bottom2 but the pebble was safe4    
,the survivor brought it back to the    
lapidary1 and made him accept of it1    
being unwilling to retain it himself4   
,the lapidary took it1 and put it aside3
 but his better half found it out1 and  
insisted that he should neither sell it 
nor keep it4 ,so1 he gave it away4 ,this
 stone ,i afterwards parted with to a   
,london collector3 not wishing to       
preserve so sad a reminiscence4 ,i took 
a fossil in exchange1 which ,i almost   
immediately lost4 ,so1 nothing connected

 with the mysterious choanite was       
8lucky40  ,perhaps every feature in     
8,vectis10 from the matted festoons on  
its honey-combed rocks to the 8witchery 
of its soft blue sky10 predisposes a    
frequent visitor to approve also of its 
pebbles4 ,but it is an unprejudiced     
fact1 that in texture and colour they   
excel those which are found on the      
,sussex beaches4 ,and while ,i think    
highly of our ,devonshire jaspers1 ,i   
remember a jasper-agate1 gathered some  
years ago at ,sandown1 which might      
challenge all such stones of native     
growth in our ,london museums1 and bear 
away the palm4  ,many a calm summer's   
evening1 many a stormy winter's         
forenoon1 have ,i whiled away in        
absolute contentment on that most       
interesting shore4 ,in the hot noons of 
,july the bathing is delicious2 and     
after your bath1 the shadow cast by     
overhanging cliffs1 and a fanning breeze
 from the sea1 make a ramble onwards    
irresistible4 ,but ,i found winter as   

pleasant in its way4 ,when the gust     
roared1 and chimneys smoked1 and the    
heavens looked dark and disturbed1 it   
was inspiriting to go forth roughly     
clad1 and to watch the fitful changes   
where the weather-gleam strikes upon    
,culver2 or to mark how that treacherous
 mist would come creeping round         
,dunnose1 till the 8white horses0 rose  
on the sea1 and the heavy squall which  
had long been packing in the offing     
burst with a wild cry1 driving in a yet 
heavier element with tatters of oar-weed
 and splinters of broken dyke against   
the face of the immovable cliff4  ,after
 passing ,shanklin1 the style of scenery
 as far as ,luccombe and the ,fishers'  
huts1 is quaint and picturesque4 ,here  
the 8,gault0 makes its appearance1 and  
the hill-paths are in consequence       
slippery and dangerous4 ,after this1    
succeed several miles of fairy-like     
beauty4 ,and then1 the stern grandeur of
 ,black-gang1 the coast-line trending   
away in a range as savage as that of    

,calabria4 ,and last1 the chosen home of
 the poet1 sublime ,freshwater1 and     
rainbow-tinted ,alum-,bay4         99   
99       99       99       99  ,having  
said so much on the pleasure of         
beach-rambling1 it may be well to put   
tourists on their guard in two important
 particulars4 ,the first of these       
touches personal safety4 ,no one should 
set out upon what may prove a prolonged 
expedition without first ascertaining1  
on ,kalendar authority1 the hours of the
 tide for that day4 ,there are sundry   
points on the coast of the ,isle of     
,wight1 for instance1 where after a     
couple of hours' progress1 on scientific
 thoughts intent1 the pedestrian may    
find himself hemmed in by a jutting     
precipice in front1 while the advancing 
tide behind has gradually cut off all   
hopes of a retreat on 8terra firma30 and
 as the face of the cliff is seldom such
 as admits of being scaled1 it will then
 fare badly with him if he be not 8the  
king of fishes40  ,the other matter     

respects fatigue4 ,hearty exercise is   
desirable2 not so that which results in 
utter exhaustion4 ,my own experience is 
as follows3--,i have climbed to the     
summit of ,sca' ,fell1 and then walked  
back1 footsore and fasting1 to ,keswick4
 ,i have swum a mile before breakfast4  
,i have ascended ,mount ,etna at        
midnight in ,december's snow4 ,but for  
sheer fatigue1 pulling at the muscles1  
and drying up the marrow1 there is      
nothing equal to ten miles of stiff     
shingle1 while a foggy north-easter     
currycombs your face1 and perhaps your  
shoe-leather has been laid open by the  
edge of an inauspicious flint4  ,if in  
addition to all this1 forgetting        
8,cording10 you have sallied forth non  
bene relict parmul1 your condition is by
 no means enviable4 ,therefore1 whoever 
intends to go beaching in earnest should
 look to his outer man1 and carry with  
him certain creature-comforts1 not      
omitting to include in these a supply of
 good tobacco4  ,yet one word more upon 

this head4 ,have a due regard to the    
well-being of your eyes4 ,they are1 as  
you will not fail to acknowledge1 the   
working party on these occasions4       
,manage how you will1 they must be      
subjected to a great stress and strain4 
,give them half an hour's respite1 if   
possible1 while you sit down and inhale 
the 8weed40 ,it is unpleasant to find1  
after too intense a service on the part 
of your 8daylights10 as you return      
homewards along the meadow-path1 that a 
beach you have left two or three miles  
behind you is all coming back1 whether  
you like it or no1 upon your organs of  
vision4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,on the whole1 summer is   
the most fruitful season for stocking a 
cabinet1 on account of the more powerful
 illumination cast upon the objects of  
your search4 ,but in winter the beach   
itself is very likely to be in better   
condition1 for it is oftener agitated1  
and many specimens will come to the     
surface which in calmer weather lie     

buried under sand4 ,it is important to  
train yourself to attentive observation1
 and after long habit the ear will      
listen intuitively4  ,if you hear the   
sea make a dull1 booming noise during   
the night1 be on the look-out two or    
three tides later1 when the first       
shingle now thrown up has sifted and    
settled down4 ,large pebbles will then  
be found on the top of all1 the process 
being much like that which takes place  
on shaking a basin of lump sugar4  ,but 
it will be well for you to be always on 
the alert4 ,the seaside elements must be
 coaxed and humoured1 if you hope to get
 anything by their agency4 ,a beach     
itself is exceedingly capricious4 ,on   
some days you may walk for miles and    
remark nothing worth picking up2 perhaps
 the next day1 over the same ground1 so 
great will be the profusion of fossils  
as to suggest the idea that since your  
last visit a petrified shoal had        
returned to life1 swum into the bay1 and
 there been once more stifled in        

gurgling lime1 or liquid silex1 and     
penetrated by the metallic 8moss40      
8,the sea yields its harvests without   
sowing or planting10 and seaside scenery
 is exquisite if you have come upon it  
where it is unsophisticated4 ,happily it
 is in such sequestered 8,edens of the  
western wave0 that the most desirable   
pebbles are met with4 ,i have gathered  
rare specimens where the dor-hawk was   
wheeling overhead1 and saucy sea-gulls  
screeching almost in my face2 while a   
cunning crow would watch from a         
projecting ledge of rock to see whether 
,i was about to capture1 and afterwards 
throw away1 anything which might serve  
him for a luncheon4  ,the terraces of   
,margate and ,ramsgate are invaluable to
 the tired artizans of ,london seeking  
their well-earned recreation2 but no    
poet could venture to affirm of them    
what ,scott said of 8,brignall banks10  
that they are 8wild and fair40 ,but quit
 these populous thoroughfares1 and get  
away to pearly ,beachey ,head1 or roam  

the lone strands of ,yorkshire or       
,devon1 or go and lose yourself among   
shadowy nooks and gleaming bays in the  
sweetest of all islands1 and you will   
possess the genuine colour and scent1   
and music and mystery of the sea1 as the
 ,creator has framed and blended that   
wondrous element4  ,you need not look   
for pebbles unless you like2 sometimes  
it were better not4 ,but saunter down to
 the water's crinkled edge1 and inhale  
that indescribable odour from old rock1 
slippery now with dulse and             
ribbon-weed--,piesse and ,lubin distil  
nothing to equal it--and con the page in
 ,nature's volume which lies open before
 you2 it will never give you a          
head-ache1 nor a heart-ache either4     
,here1 after presently stripping to the 
elbow1 you may surprise a hermit-crab1  
or catch the spotted 8goby0 in his dark 
saline pool1 but please let him go      
again2 you ought to give him his        
freedom1 if only out of gratitude2 for  
all this time your own tired body is    

being braced and refreshed1 and your    
mind1 yesterday jaded and careworn1 is  
winning back its elasticity under a     
sense of blessed repose4  ,i will now   
mention some peculiarities in the nature
 of our beaches1 which ,i have noted    
from time to time in the book of my     
experience4         99       99       99
       99       99  ,a ,,beach is       
supposed to be a permanent accumulation 
of pebbles and small shingle1 due to    
such cliffs or banks as are near at     
hand4 ,and this general definition would
 be so far scientifically correct1 if   
nature were stagnant like the surface of
 a deserted mill-pond4 ,but1 as ,nature 
is always at work1 always shifting the  
scenes1 the above definition1 although  
it sounds like a truism1 does not hold  
good in either of its clauses4 ,the     
accumulation which we look upon is not  
permanent1 nor is it always due to a    
neighbouring source4 ,sometimes the     
collection of stones which we find      
heaped up in an immemorial bay has been 

washed round--much of it1 perchance1    
recently--from a distant quarter4 ,and  
this might be taking place under our    
very eyes1 and we not know it1 just as  
we do not see the grass grow4 ,except in
 very calm weather1 beaches are         
continually travelling1 and they travel 
rapidly along certain lines of coast1   
until they arrive at a terminal point or
 headland4 ,to get round this latter    
takes time1 but they do get round it at 
last1 with the help of strong gales     
prevailing in one direction1 and under  
the rushing tides of an equinox4 ,now if
 we suppose a few acres of shingle to be
 once fairly carried past such a        
promontory1 and discharged into the     
curve of an elliptical bay1 they will be
 locked in1 and may1 perhaps1 never get 
out again4  ,i have myself no doubt that
 ,sandown ,beach is fed and replenished 
in this manner3 and the bay being deeply
 indented with the points of ,culver and
 ,dunnose1 prominent at opposite        
extremities1 egress is difficult4 ,yet  

most persons might naturally suppose    
that whatever they find on the beach    
here is due to its overhanging cliffs4  
,some of the best pebbles travel fast1  
and are1 in fact1 migratory1 till they  
reach such a 8nidus0 as ,i have         
described4 ,this is owing to the rounded
 form which fossils usually assume4     
,angular lumps rather remain stationary4
 ,jasper ,i suppose makes few           
excursions3 while the agates and oval   
choanites are continually on the move1  
and may have visited a dozen different  
localities before they are picked up4 ,i
 have hunted a bit of yellow agate in   
this way for above a mile in the course 
of a few weeks1 dropping it again on    
purpose1 and never finding it in the    
same place4  ,beside the above real     
motion of a beach1 there is an apparent 
total change for a time which is by no  
means uncommon in exposed situations4   
,this is1 when an inshore gale drifts   
the sand and conceals for a day or two  
the entire mass of shingle4 ,it is a    

provoking circumstance when it occurs1  
but it seldom lasts long in its effects4
 ,the sudden re-appearance of half a    
mile of solid beach1 as if by magic1 on 
a change of the wind1 has sometimes     
surprised me in spite of past           
experience4  ,in average weather1 when a
 beach is not migrating1 the rise and   
fall of the pebbles in the same lines is
 very observable4 ,the only change then 
induced in a stratum of shingle is by   
the suck and draught of the sea4 ,this  
latter1 however1 is unceasing1 as may   
readily be tested by bathers2 everything
 which you set your foot upon under the 
wave being in a gentle rolling motion4  
,it yields an amusing diversion in the  
water1 to play the pebbles about under  
one's feet4 ,the effect of it1 however1 
is not so quaint as that which ,i       
remember experiencing many years ago in 
,loch ,long1 where are no pebbles1 but  
plenty of mud4 ,here1 wading out in the 
shallows to arrive at swimming depth1 ,i
 put one foot after the other on the    

backs of some unsuspecting flounders    
lying on the sand1 and laughed aloud at 
the tickling sensation as they glided   
away from under me4  ,but all motion is 
a source of interest and charm1         
especially while we are on the sunny    
side of forty4 ,i believe that this     
forms one feature of delight in the     
capture of winged insects4 ,exquisite as
 is a good ,british collection1 the dry 
side of the science1 whatever learned   
entomologists may say1 is not the most  
inviting1 and would attract             
comparatively few persons after a time4 
,in like manner1 who would care for     
cover-shooting1 if all were             
sitting-shots8 ,but the 8runners0 and   
8fliers0 impart a zest4  ,even here1 my 
friends the seaside pebbles have a claim
 to please3 for1 although inanimate1    
they are not altogether devoid of       
motion1 as ,i think ,i have shown4      
,,chapter ,v4      ,,concerning         
,,certain ,,petrified ,,zoophytes1 ,,now
 ,,generally ,,supposed     ,,to ,,be   

,,extinct4   ,the petrifaction of an    
animal form or structure has always     
appeared to me a most singular process  
in ,nature4 ,the change of such         
substances as cellular tissue1 or       
fish-bone1 or cartilage1 or a light1    
leathery skin1 into minerals such as    
silex and agate1 seems at first like    
magic4 ,scott1 when describing the      
8foliaged tracery0 in the east oriel of 
,melrose ,abbey1 tells his reader3      
8,thou wouldst have thought some fairy's
 hand     ',twixt poplars straight the  
osier wand     ,in many a freakish knot 
had twined1     ,then framed a spell    
when the work was done1     ,and changed
 the willow wreaths to stone40  ,but    
there is no magic in ,nature2 and when  
we meet with undoubted phenomena1       
however strange they may appear1 in any 
department of her realm1 we must behave 
ourselves like matter-of-fact persons   
and set about accounting for them       
logically4 ,in a genuine petrifaction   
there are two ways of doing this1 or1 in

 other words1 there are two different   
modes in which ,nature may have acted so
 as to produce the result which we are  
considering4 ,one of these is that of a 
simple substitution2 the particles of   
one substance being gradually removed1  
and those of another taking their place4
 ,this must have been the process which 
obtained in many well-known instances3  
as1 for example1 when the thin1 leathery
 shell or husk of an echinus is found   
perfectly rendered1 both as to its      
general outline and minute markings1 in 
solid flint or limestone4 ,we feel quite
 sure that the original husk has        
perished2 but here is its second self4  
,the other mode is that of actual       
transmutation1 wherein no part of the   
original substance is destroyed or      
removed1 but its physical conditions    
undergo a total change1 by means of     
either infiltration1 or crystallization1
 or perhaps both of them combined4 ,this
 process has obtained in such cases as a
 petrified shark's tooth1 or a fossil   

trilobite from the ,wenlock4  ,the      
tooth1 which was once bone1 is now a    
kind of metallic stone3 the trilobite   
once1 as we suppose1 shell and          
cartilage1 is now a something between   
limestone and cast-iron4 ,and this      
change is very wonderful2 but1 as was   
said above1 there is no magic in it1 no 
more than in the hardening of an        
infant's skull1 or the solidifying of   
the arm and leg-bones by the absorption 
of phosphate of lime4 ,besides1 the     
stone and metal now present are still   
something different from what we        
ordinarily mean by those terms3 the     
petrified tooth is not like a           
flint-stone1 neither could you cut      
horse-shoe nails out of the trilobite4  
,in fact1 every real process has a      
character of its own3 a something which 
distinguishes it from any other1 despite
 of general resemblances up to a certain
 point4  ,petrifaction1 then1 being     
assumed1 as an operation which has      
really taken place after one way or     

another1 it falls next to be considered1
 what was the original nature of these  
fossils8 ,i mean the objects which we   
find thus preserved in our seaside      
pebbles4 ,what was the department in    
,creation to which they belonged8 ,was  
it animal or vegetable before it thus   
became altogether mineral8  ,for myself1
 ,i will at once say that ,i have no    
doubt it was animal2 but not an animal  
of a very high order4 ,the specimens    
which ,i now possess1 and which are all 
of them chosen1 some of them rare1 ,i   
should assign to such creatures as the  
8zoophytes0 or 8polyps10 both radiated  
and globular4 ,and ,i know of nothing1  
among many hundreds of specimens        
gathered from a dozen different beaches1
 which presents the evidence of having  
belonged to vegetable organization1 with
 the exception of sundry varieties of   
petrified wood1 which speak for         
themselves1 and could not be mistaken by
 anybody4  ,i will now state two or     
three reasons1 which to my own mind are 

conclusive1 for the above decision4  ,in
 the first place1 then1 the structures  
here perpetuated in stone are of great  
delicacy1 and they have been immersed in
 ancient seas1 as is testified by the   
localities in which they are obtained4  
,now vegetable structure as fine as     
this1 if immersed long enough for any   
such change to come in question1 must   
have utterly perished by maceration1 and
 then the petrifaction could not have   
taken place4 ,i know that part of the   
stem 7and ,i think fruit7 of one species
 of 8conifer0 has been found in the     
,isle of ,wight in the condition of a   
fossil2 but this belonged to a hardy    
class of plants1 and the lobes or plates
 which composed its bark and husk are   
themselves highly siliceous1 to say     
nothing of the presence of iron in the  
rind of most of these stems4 ,so that   
the process would be a long one1 and the
 fibrous material of the tree would     
stand it well4 ,but in these pebbles    
some of the threads or tubes run from   

the size of small twine to that of the  
rays in a spider's web2 and no vegetable
 substance with which ,i am acquainted1 
excepting the filaments of 8asbestos0   
7which is a vegetating mineral7 in      
rock-crystal1 could abide and retain its
 form1 so as to allow of the changes by 
infiltration or otherwise which have    
passed upon the original structure4  ,if
 it be said in reply to this1 that we   
have the exquisitely delicate           
8dendritic0 markings1 as of leaves and  
filaments of shrubs or sea-weed1 in the 
heart of the white chalcedony           
8mocha-stones0 from the ,east1 the      
answer is evident3 these are not really 
vegetable traces1 but only resemble such
 in their configuration and colours4    
,they are simply shoots and             
ramifications of a metal1--as iron or   
manganese4 ,those in the 8weed-agate0 of
 ,india1 which exactly resemble sprays  
of fine sea-weed1 are produced by       
8delessite40  ,indeed1 it is both       
diverting and instructive to observe how

 ,nature permits1 and even seems to     
abound in1 curious coincidences and     
striking resemblances between things of 
entirely diverse character4 ,the dried  
polyp1 called 8encrinoid echinoderm10   
bears a wonderful likeness to one       
species of ,indian corn4 7,see the plate
 at p4 #acg of ,mr4 ,rymer ,jones's     
beautiful work on 8,the ,animal         
,kingdom407 ,and the other day1 when ,i 
was enjoying a leisure hour in the      
,british ,museum1 ,i suddenly remarked  
that the 8carapace0 7back-shell7 of the 
splendid fossil specimen of the         
8,holoptychius nobilissimus0 in one of  
the cases might serve for a sketch of   
the back of a capercailzie1 where the   
grey and purple feathers overlap one    
another4 ,yet here is no real connection
 whatever4 ,only ,dame ,nature had gone 
to play4  ,secondly4 ,the preservation  
of these 8polyp0 forms1 in the manner in
 which they have been preserved1 seems  
to me to be due to a feature or         
circumstance which is strictly animal   

and not vegetable4 ,i refer to the fact 
of the creature1 while it was alive1    
inhabiting a house1 a house built by    
himself1 or emanating from his own      
substance4 ,for1 just as we could know  
but little of the existence or habits of
 8shell-fish10 were it not for their    
shells1 so ,i think we may assume that  
the choanite must1 when alive1 have     
dwelt in a tough1 horny 8coperculum10   
answering to the shape of his body and  
the number of his 8polyps0 7if he was a 
compound creature71 because otherwise he
 would have been like a jelly-fish or   
naked slug1 and his 8polypary0 could not
 have been preserved in a stony fossil4 
,of course1 whatever was merely flesh1  
or adipose matter1 has long since       
perished2 but the house or shell in     
which it whilome dwelt remains4 ,thus1  
the 8echinus0 built himself a dome1 such
 a residence as a hedgehog would require
 to live comfortably in1 and through the
 various orifices of which his spines   
could be protruded at pleasure4 ,the    

8ammonite10 being shaped like a snake1  
preferred living in a shell of that     
form1 where the creature when coiled up 
was safe4 ,the 8alcyonite0 had a more   
exquisite taste in house-building1      
answering1 we may be sure1 to the       
complex and beautiful structure with    
which the great ,creator had endowed    
him4 ,his home was a palace1 containing 
long galleries and secret doors and     
wheel-windows2 and here some of the     
delicate tubes are fringed at their     
extremities like the petals of a flower4
  ,the antiquity of these formations may
 be very great1 we can scarcely tell how
 far removed from our own era4 ,for1    
while the zoophyte itself is of a       
perishable nature1 we are acquainted    
with no substance more durable 7if we   
except the gems7 than that calcareous   
matter of which these tubes and plates  
were formed1 when once it has been      
subjected to processes of infiltration  
by crystallizing mineral and metallic   
oxides4  ,now1 ,i think this argument a 

very strong one2 in fact1 although      
simple1 almost unanswerable4 ,for no    
plant dwells thus in a house4 ,we have  
the plant itself1 but nothing more2 and 
if this be not capable1 and ,i hold it  
to be incapable1 of sustaining the most 
vehement mineralizing process in the    
crucible of ,nature1 its history must be
 a brief one1 and excepting in the dark 
8lithographs0 of the coal-measures1 its 
memory must pass away4 ,i have already  
allowed an exceptionable case in favour 
of the conifers1 which1 be it observed1 
nowise resemble anything portrayed in   
siliceous pebbles1 and it is remarkable 
how much this class of plants           
predominates in the ,,coal4  ,i have    
always been suspicious of what are      
called 8vegetable petrifactions40 ,i    
examined those at ,tivoli1 near ,rome1  
in the year #ahde1 and ,i made up my    
mind that they are simple incrustations4
 ,in like manner1 many of the buildings 
at ,pstum are constructed with a kind of
 8travertine0 taken from the bed of a   

neighbouring river1 and which rapidly   
incrusts any solid objects submitted to 
the action of its waters4 ,but the truth
 is1 the vegetable pipe or 8straw0      
remains for a while1 owing to the silex 
which entered into its composition while
 the plant was growing4 ,after some     
years the straw decays1 and there is a  
hole or depression in that part of the  
pillar or pediment4 ,on the other hand1 
a calcareous 8menstruum10 imbibing silex
 and iron1 hardens into a substance     
which1 like the best mortar or cement   
used in building1 will sometimes outlast
 even the blocks of limestone or oolite 
which it was put to bind together4      
,thirdly4 ,animal organization1 such    
even as these polyps possessed1 renders 
the phenomena much more intelligible4   
,our best authorities in such matters   
tell us that 8insects have neither lungs
 nor branchi2 but in them the air passes
 into a system of tubes1 whose structure
 resembles that of an elastic webbing40 
,and again1 8,the annelids possess an   

uninterrupted circulation40 ,and again1 
8,in the #8,nymphon' and #8,pycnogonum' 
molluscs1 which are crustaceans having  
considerable resemblance to certain of  
our field spiders1 the intestine        
penetrates to the very extremities of   
the feet and claws40--,animal ,kingdom4 
,now here are cited some of the very    
desiderata which ,i should have named1  
had ,i been asked what conditions were  
needed  priori for such petrifactions to
 occur4 ,i will only add1 under this    
head1 that a fine annelid occurs in the 
blue agate off ,eastbourne2 that a      
8myriapod10 which is among the chromo   
plates of this volume1 has all the      
characteristics of insect life and      
motion2 and that a spider is the nearest
 thing ,i know of1 in some respects1 to 
what the 8choanite0 must have been when 
that mollusc condensed himself from a   
cylinder to a sphere4 ,perhaps1 however1
 the strongest clause in this part of   
the argument may be drawn from the      
8sponges40 ,here the creature itself1   

wonderful to relate1 is a viscous fluid1
 and the intricate mansion which he     
inhabits is a globose1 horny skeleton1  
perforated with endless small tubes     
opening into wider galleries4 ,there    
was1 however1 in the perfect animal1 ,i 
am assured1 one main central cavity1    
which gave strength and unity to the    
entire fabric by the plan of its walls1 
and1 perhaps1 by a main valve4          
,throughout the whole of this hydraulic 
system the sea-water1 on the circulation
 of which the zoophyte depended for life
 and health1 could be pumped to and fro 
at pleasure4 ,and1 evidently1 when the  
8habitat0 of such a creature was        
suddenly invaded by a siliceous         
crystalline solution1 extinction of the 
animal and a petrifying investment of   
his abode would be simultaneous4        
,lastly4 ,if the objects here petrified 
had been vegetable in their extraction1 
should we not1 with the aid of the      
microscope1 be able to identify them8   
,but this ,i have never yet succeeded in

 doing2 yet all the petrified 8woods0   
are well known4 ,i have myself obtained 
slabs of the 8acacia0 from the coast of 
,south ,devon2 of the 8beech10 in       
,sussex2 of coniferous wood almost      
everywhere4 ,and1 what is more to the   
purpose1 though the petrifaction in such
 cases is deep and perfect1 no one      
looking upon it could doubt for a moment
 that the original structure had been   
that of wood from a forest-tree4        
,agatized as it is1 and penetrated here 
and there by metallic colours1 and shot 
with rays of jasper1 the lines in its   
fabric reveal the texture of wood4  ,i  
may mention here1 that every one who    
walks our beaches1 with a view to the   
collection of fossil specimens1 will do 
well to carry in his or her pocket a    
good lens1 of large external diameter2  
mine measures about two inches across1  
and ,i may truly say it has saved me a  
world of trouble1 besides affording me  
much satisfaction at odd moments in the 
scrutiny of pebbles of different kinds  

and textures4  ,before closing this     
chapter ,i may be permitted to draw the 
reader's attention to a theory held by  
the late ,dr4 ,mantell4 ,i cannot1 at   
this moment1 lay my hand upon the volume
 in which it occurs1 but ,i am pretty   
sure it will be found in his 8,geology  
of the ,isle of ,wight30 a book which1  
for elegance of composition1 and sound  
information1 can hardly be too much     
commended2 though a resident lapidary in
 ,sandown did once say to me1 while     
thumbing the pages of a well-worn copy1 
8,ah1 sir6 if the ,doctor had come here 
and stayed a week instead of listening  
only to what those fellows told him in  
,ryde1 ,i could have shown him something
 which he doesn't seem to know1 as to   
how the bit of coast runs hereabouts40  
,dr4 ,mantell's idea was this3 he held  
that when a mollusc was subjected to the
 first stage in the petrifying process1 
there was1 in the dying of the creature1
 some effusion of blood 7or             
quasi-blood71 and that this1 being the  

very pith and strength of the animal's  
system1 would1 in many cases1 tinge the 
future stone indelibly4 ,he carried this
 notion so far as to assign some dark   
blotches1 apparent in the masonry of a  
wall1 to such a source as being their   
most probable cause2 and he gave to the 
thing itself the graphic title of       
,molluskite4 ,in this view ,i will only 
add that ,i am inclined to agree with   
him2 and in my 8myriapod10 already      
referred to1 there is a blood-red spot  
which pierces through the stone1        
appearing on both sides1 and which ,i at
 first supposed to be a piece of        
8shell-lac10 but ,i now rather regard it
 as the trace left of himself by some   
marauding 8pholas10 who1 after drilling 
a hole through the solid pebble1 found  
his own grave there4     ,,chapter ,,vi4
      ,,on ,,the ,,litoral ,,labours    
,,of ,,the ,,ocean1 ,,and ,,on ,,seaside
 ,,sports4   ,the more ,i consider the  
various phenomena occurring from time to
 time on the dry land1 and the more     

opportunity ,i have of observing for    
myself simple facts in geology1 the more
 ,i am struck at once with the          
truthfulness and the unexpectedness--if 
,i may use such a word--of the assertion
 which ,moses makes in the #ast chapter 
of ,genesis1 that the appearance of the 
8dry land0 was due to 8the gathering    
together of the waters unto one place40 
,the assertion has an unexpected 7      
priori7 character2 for continents and   
tracts of dry land do not1 on the face  
of them1 suggest the idea of any recent 
presence of incumbent masses of salt    
water--perhaps miles in depth4 ,but it  
is eminently truthful1 for it is a key  
to many an abstruse problem in ,nature1 
and a confirmation of every sound and   
enlarged view of the past history of    
this globe4  ,the ocean has been busily 
at work--in old times1 inland2 in later 
times1 coastwise2 in all times          
subterraneously4 ,this last point is    
proved by the volcanoes1 and that in a  
twofold argument4 ,such volcanoes as are

 now extinct1 are so because they have  
lost all communication with the sea2    
such of them as are active1 are so      
because they draw supplies of salt-water
 from the nearest part of the ocean1 and
 this they can only do subterraneously4 
,but in speaking of the labours of the  
ocean1 ,i shall confine myself to the   
seashore1 as the scope of this little   
volume does not go beyond that region4  
,the point where sea and land meet is   
the critical point for all observers of 
,nature4 ,here the disciple of geology  
should serve his apprenticeship1 and if 
he cannot accumulate facts1 and glean a 
kind of inspiration here1 he cannot do  
so anywhere4 ,moreover here1 better1 we 
think1 than in any inland scenery1 ,man 
can muse and meditate4 ,that            
ever-varying curved line of moisture on 
the shore depicts the fluctuating       
changes which momentarily visit his     
8little day20 the tide running in is the
 flood of his early life2 the tide      
running out is the ebb of his declining 

years2 the vast sweep of the coast1     
backed by the upland ranges and         
everlasting hills1 and itself only lost 
to sight in the far horizon1 tells of a 
steadfast future1 an immutable eternity4
  ,above all1 those who desire to note  
epochs in the flight of ,time1 and to   
set up way-marks in the ,earth's        
chronology1 must study the line of the  
sea-coast1 the ancient and the modern1  
for here1 if anywhere1 the dial-plate is
 uncovered1 and the shadow of the gnomon
 may be traced through some seconds of  
the enormous day which has witnessed the
 existence of the heavens and the earth4
  ,i have already1 in my opening        
chapter1 remarked how the sea brings    
down1 in the course of ages1 many a     
pebbly beach from cliff and causeway4   
,but ,i am far from assuming1 therefore1
 that all the pebbles of a beach come   
from the land4 ,the usual bottom of the 
sea is1 indeed1 no pebbly shore2 but    
there are many submerged rocks of       
sandstone and oolite1 out of whose ribs 

and crevices1 from time to time1 fossils
 may be washed1 just as our own         
chalk-cliffs1 the main resort of the    
siliceous pebbles1 were themselves laid 
down in deep seas4 ,and the salt water1 
which is always acting gradually to     
dissolve certain rocks1 when it removes 
portions of these from the edges and    
promontories1 will occasionally bring   
their contents to shore4 ,but these     
results1 although interesting to those  
who maybe searching after pebbles 7and a
 deep-sea pebble is a prize71 were not  
what ,i pointed at when ,i spoke of the 
labours of the ocean4  ,i have          
frequently walked the shore1 and        
observed the colour of the waves1 after 
what is termed a 8ground swell10 which  
had lasted1 perhaps1 for thirty or forty
 hours4 ,the cerulean hue is then gone1 
and to it has succeeded1 in certain     
localities1 an opaque chalky tinge1     
showing that the water is now heavily   
charged with lime4 ,also fragments of   
shells rolled together are united with  

heavy masses of sand1 and sometimes of  
broken pumice-stone1 and a kind of rough
 marl is rapidly formed1 and left on the
 beach4 ,after a gale1 and succeeding   
8swell10 ,i have met with these         
imperfect boulders1 varying in size from
 that of a man's fist to some larger    
than his head4 ,at the same time1 any   
low ranges of littoral rocks become     
crusted over with the superabundant     
lime1 being more than the waves will    
long hold in solution2 and a coating is 
thus given to such rocks which is       
sometimes as hard as is the native      
limestone itself1 a few weeks' exposure 
to the sun and air sufficing to effect  
this4  ,some fourteen years ago1 ,i had 
an opportunity1 when in ,sicily1 of     
examining a portion of the coast between
 ,messina and ,catania1 and ,i regret   
that ,i did not avail myself of it more 
heartily4 ,but ,i have seen ,m4         
,quatrefage's book on this subject1 and 
his observations1 most carefully and    
laboriously conducted1 may almost be    

said to close that part of the subject1 
as far as any prospect of eliciting     
fresh information is concerned4 ,i think
 he measured some of the long reefs1 and
 the evident increase by incrustation   
extended for many miles of the          
coast-line1 and was of considerable     
thickness4 ,i have observed the same    
8masonic0 phenomenon off the coast of   
,st4 ,andrews1 in ,fifeshire1 when      
swimming out among the weedy rocks1 and 
afterwards climbing to the shore4 ,i    
then thought it was the work of marine  
insects1 as ,i had heard of molluscs    
building causeways of tubes of          
limestone1 but ,i incline now to think  
it was the sea doing it1 as they say1 at
 first-hand4 ,the sea1 however1 does a  
great deal in the same line at          
second-hand1 by means1 chiefly1 of two  
species of zoanthoid polyps4 ,of these  
little creatures1 one kind constructs   
the bases of coral islands1 and another 
the summits 7at the least7 of the       
madrepore reefs4 ,it is impossible to   

doubt that by labours so patiently      
carried on1 and so widely diffused1 some
 beneficent purpose is aimed at and     
attained by ,providence4 ,perhaps they  
operate1 finally1 to warn the shipping  
of adventurous merchants from entering  
certain dangerous bays and straits2 and 
if the humble madrepore has got a bad   
name through this1 as though he had made
 the danger1 he certainly suffers       
unjustly1 for what real difference1 as  
to ultimate and assured safety1 can a   
few inches more of water in such places 
make8 ,far better to raise an impassable
 bar across the way at once1 and        
proclaim1 8no thoroughfare60  ,then the 
ocean supplies a great market1 much the 
greatest in the world4 ,i do not know   
the proportion of persons in ,central   
,europe who live on fish to those who   
live on meat1 but ,i think1 in both     
,northern and ,southern ,europe1 the    
former exceed the latter4 ,in           
,connemara1 on the western coast of     
,ireland1 and in the ,scotch highlands  

of ,argyle and ,inverness1 fish is      
decidedly the staple article of diet1 as
 far as animal food is concerned4 ,i    
believe the same is true of ,cornwall   
and part of ,devon4 ,the herring1 the   
pilchard1 the haddock1 the cod1 and the 
salmon--to say nothing of the sole and  
other flat-fish--feed millions of       
persons1 and1 with the help of oatmeal1 
barley-cakes1 and 7in a good year7      
potatoes1 feed them well4 ,shell-fish   
are also no mean item1 and are sometimes
 the most refreshing of all dishes1     
especially at the supper-table4 ,now the
 sea1 it must be remembered1 does all   
this for man without harrowing1         
ploughing1 or sowing4 ,the fisherman's  
net may be said to reap1 that is all4   
,again1 if jewels be of any real value1 
what is the value 7among such7 of a     
collar of faultless pearls8 what is     
there among minerals1 so pure1 so       
exquisitely beautiful1 whether we regard
 their tint or their form8 ,these are   
the spontaneous production of a humble  

shell-fish2 some say1 an offering from  
the creature when he has been wounded4  
,if so1 men may here learn a lesson in  
kind1 and return good for evil to those 
who persecute them4  ,again1 the ocean  
is our defence3 long may it prove so6   
8,britannia needs no bulwark1     ,no   
towers along the steep1     ,her march  
is o'er the mountain wave1     ,her home
 is on the deep40  ,no doubt1 since man 
is a creature who lives upon the dry    
land1 the land is on the whole the most 
valuable2 but what would the land be    
without the sea8 ,nay1 to go no further1
 how could we exist in summer and       
autumn1 if deprived of the sea-breezes8 
,for myself1 though naturally fond of   
field-sports1 and delighting in         
botanical and entomological pursuits1 ,i
 know of no treat equal to that of a    
seaside ramble in the month1 say1 of    
,september or ,october4  ,now let us    
consider how very little mischief the   
ocean does us4 ,much fewer people die of
 what are called 8casualties0 by sea1   

than of those by land4 ,the truth is1 we
 always hear of such as are lost at sea1
 because of the loss of the ship1 which 
involves a question of insurance-money2 
but of deaths inland1 especially in far 
countries1 and if belonging to strange  
peoples or savage tribes1 we perchance  
scarce hear at all4 ,,yeh1 the ,chinese 
,commissioner1 killed1 it was said1     
#gj1jjj persons in the course of his    
brief career1 for political reasons4    
,how long would it take for #gj1jjj     
persons to perish by storms or accidents
 at sea1 in the usual course of things1 
in one small part of the globe8  ,a     
wreck1 it must be allowed1 is a terrible
 thing2 but so is a house on fire1 or a 
flood up the country4  ,the sea1        
moreover1 labours to help the land in   
other ways1 some of them singular       
enough4 ,many thousands of poor         
unproductive acres have1 in these last  
ten years1 been rendered rich and       
fertile by supplies of ,,guano4 ,and    
whence did we get the guano8 why1 from  

the sea-fowl1 and from a barren rock in 
the bosom of the seas6 ,this is no      
trifling benefit to reap from the       
8desert sea40  ,what a beautiful thing  
is glass1 and how indispensable it has  
become to us6 ,perhaps no other material
 can be insured to be perfectly clean   
and pure for drinking out of4 ,for many 
years our glass-works depended mainly   
upon a constant supply of kelp from the 
,orkneys1 and even now they cannot      
dispense with the sea-sand4  ,the       
porcelain mills in ,staffordshire and   
elsewhere are very glad to obtain a     
cartload of pebbles from the beach4     
,these go to the 8crushing0 department2 
and if among them there are1 as there   
are pretty sure to be1 a dozen lumps of 
chalcedony1 the material of the next    
batch of teacups will be unusually fine1
 provided some one who understands them 
picks the stones first4 ,indeed1 if ,i  
had no preferable occupation in this    
world1 ,i have often thought ,i would   
collect the rough agates and            

chalcedonies from sundry localities ,i  
wot of1 and fabricate a biscuit of my   
own1 as the king of ,saxony does at     
,meissen4 ,but though ,i have not the   
leisure for this1 others may have2 and  
so ,i mention it here4  ,especially ,i  
incline to think that a splendid kind of
 8,wedgewood0 ware would result from the
 crushing of certain jaspers1 for ,i    
suppose their colours would not fade in 
the furnace4  ,then1 the seaside visit1 
,i must not omit to mention1 can be     
enlivened by sundry local pursuits and  
amusements4 ,besides the pleasures of a 
sailing-boat1 and a run with the        
8dredge0 and the 8dipping-net10 there is
 the exciting march of the ,shrimper1   
knee-deep in the wave1 pushing the      
hoop-net before him1 and every now and  
then halting to fill his front pocket   
with the silvery jumpers4 ,if there are 
rocks near at hand1 there will be       
lobster-pots to visit2 and the habits   
and deportment of a live lobster are    
among the most curious in creation4 ,in 

agility and cunning he surpasses even a 
salmon4 ,also1 for the benefit of those 
who at all regard what they eat--and he 
who disregards it is a goose--,i may    
just venture to hint that a real        
lobster-salad 7,london confectioners    
have a way of selling sham ones17 is a  
dish worthy their serious attention3    
,barclay's stout being not a bad        
accompaniment4  ,but the above will     
sound to some persons too 8,epicurean40 
,o gentle reader1 do you love moonlight8
 and if you have ever admired the       
reflection of that planet in a lake or  
river1 what will you say to it when you 
contemplate it in ,sandown ,bay8 ,culver
 on one side1 looking as if it were of  
green glass1 and the cliffs of ,shanklin
 on the other resembling walls and      
pillars of porphyry6 ,or is your taste  
for the sterner beauty of storms and    
angry seas8 ,then visit ,blackgang      
,chine late in winter1 and you may 8sup 
full of horrors40 ,the appearance of the
 waves below1 as they come in over that 

fatal 8race10 and the aspect of the     
earth and the heavens above1 when the   
lightning darts from 8,st4 ,catherine's 
head0 and sweeps like a destroying      
,angel down the chasm of the ,chine1    
yield together perhaps the grandest     
picture of desolation and terror that   
,english scenery ever shows4  ,there are
 persons still living who are unwilling 
to speak of the fearful tempest they    
witnessed on that coast when the        
,clarendon was lost4  ,lastly1 to return
 to our 8pebbles10 the sea is an        
indefatigable agent in the partly       
mechanical1 partly chemical1 work of    
infiltration2 a process to which both   
the fine texture and varied colours of  
these agatized fossils are mainly due4  
,but of this ,i must treat in the       
chapter which follows4  ,enough1 for the
 present1 of the ocean itself--of its   
labours and its sports4 ,but1 as some   
readers love a comparison1 and hold that
 every theme grows dull without this1 ,i
 will quote from the lips of a great    

traveller1 whom it was once my luck to  
meet1 his opinion of the rival claims of
 the ,desert1 to that admiration which  
we islanders lavish on the heaving      
,ocean and the winding ,shore4 ,i cannot
 pretend to remember his very words2 but
 he was eloquent as the son of ,laertes1
 and he made me long to visit the ,east4
 ,he said that the ,desert was 8another 
world10 more marvellous than this of our
 land and sea3 it was a home and a      
domain1 like the former2 yet was it     
waste and boundless as the latter4 ,i   
asked about the sands4 8,vast1 beyond   
computation40 8,and the material80      
8,powdered quartz1 all of it4 ,quartz   
mountains1 crushed1 and pulverized1 and 
sifted60 ,the reddish hue is from the   
peroxide of iron4 ,no particle of       
anything like organized matter has ever 
been detected in its composition4 ,the  
caravan-camels which drop and die daily 
on their hot march1 as they have done   
for centuries1 leave their skeletons1   
after the vulture's inquest is over1 to 

bleach upon the surface2 and1 in the    
course of a season or two1 these bones  
must turn to an impalpable powder3 but  
that does not mix with the sand1 or     
phosphate of lime would at once be found
 on analyzing it4  ,then he spoke of the
 sunrise1 and the glowing sunset2 and of
 the delicious hours of night2 and of   
tent-life in the ,desert2 and of        
wandering ,arabs1 who revere the grave  
and silent man2 and of the charms of an 
encampment in some green 8oasis20 and   
then1 strongest commendation of all1 he 
said1 8,i am going back1 among the      
children of the ,desert60     ,,chapter 
,,vii4      ,,concerning ,,certain      
,,natural ,,phenomena4--,,origin ,,of   
,,the     ,,diamond4--,,formation ,,and 
,,colouring ,,of ,,gems4--,,infiltration
     ,,of ,,pebbles4--,,cause ,,of      
,,transparency4--,,integrity ,,of ,,the 
,,fossil-,,nodules4--,,theory ,,of ,,the
 ,,shattered ,,flints4--,,concluding    
,,observations4   ,the charm which wins 
and rivets our attention in such        

pursuits as those of ,geology or        
,mineralogy1 is not that the phenomena  
which we meet with are capable of being 
classified1 and of forming a scientific 
system4 ,all this is1 no doubt1 one day 
instructive and interesting2 but it was 
an afterthought1 the result of          
experiment4 ,the first charm lay in that
 silent mystery which broods over every 
part of creation1 a veil as yet         
unpenetrated by ,science3 it lay in our 
instinctive consciousness that ,nature1 
in what are1 perhaps1 her simplest      
movements1 still transcends all the     
master-pieces of ,art4  ,take1 for      
instance1 the crystalline gems4 ,these  
are the most remarkable substances with 
which we are acquainted2 they are also  
among the most simple4 ,chemically      
speaking1 the metals and gases may claim
 to be regarded as simpler bodies2 but  
then it must be remembered that we do   
not meet with them in nature thus       
unmixed4 ,gases vary1 both in volume and
 character1 every instant2 and ordinary 

metallic ores are penetrated and        
disguised by foreign matter2 whereas    
faultless crystals1 once perfected1     
appear to be unalterable4  ,some of     
these1 as the ,,diamond1 would almost   
seem to be an elementary substance2 and 
yet this can hardly be the actual case4 
,the philosophical account of a crystal1
 as 8some substance1 all the particles  
of which1 being free to move1 have been 
operated upon in the way of a chemical1 
perhaps an electrical change10 certainly
 makes against it2 for1 according to    
this definition1 such 8substance0 is a  
first desideratum1 without which we     
cannot have the 8crystal40 ,thus1 oxygen
 and hydrogen1 blended together in      
certain definite proportions1 yield the 
fluid substance1 ,,water2 and the       
8crystal0 of water is ,,ice4 ,in like   
manner1 common white carbonate of lime1 
and the fluor spars1 whose ingredients  
we know1 are in daily process of        
formation4  ,the philosophical idea1 so 
accurately expressed in the above       

definition1 is1 doubtless1 correct1 if  
once we assume a past history for some  
substance1 and take the crystal before  
us as its result4 ,but1 whether all     
bodies which we now meet with under the 
form of crystals have1 in point of fact1
 had such a history1 is quite another   
question4  ,the diamond is universally  
held to be pure ,,carbon crystallized4  
,its high refraction indicated this to  
,newton long ago2 and the proof has     
since been given twofold3 for the       
diamond scales off and evaporates under 
intense heat1 and its dust has          
carbonized iron-filings1 turning them   
into steel4  ,further1 this carbon is   
supposed to be of vegetable origin2 and1
 if so1 it would seem to follow that    
there must have been plants1 and perhaps
 coal-strata1 before there could be any 
diamonds4  ,but what was the process    
actually carried out in nature8 ,no one 
has hitherto succeeded in obtaining this
 gem1 answering to the conditions of a  
8brilliant0 in water1 lustre1 and       

weight1 by any attempted method1 from   
the base of carbon4 ,the ,french        
chemists have now1 for some years past1 
been experimenting upon boron1 by means 
of the voltaic battery2 and they have1  
it seems1 taken out of the crucible     
sundry small1 pale crystals1 which are  
found to be nearly as hard as adamantine
 spar 7a variety of corundum72 but they 
cannot show1 as the fruit of their      
labours1 a diamond weighing one carat1  
and worth1 according to the tariff1     
eight pounds sterling in the market of  
,europe4 ,indeed1 if this boron be a    
mineral intermediate between carbon and 
silex1 their gems will assuredly partake
 of the character of rock-crystal1 a    
stone which has no affinity with the    
diamond whatever4  ,the process of      
,nature1 therefore1 being unknown1 if   
indeed it ever took place1 the question 
fairly arises--whether diamond be a     
derived crystal1 or itself an original  
type of created matter4 ,or it might be 
put thus3 8,if diamond be the purest    

form of carbon known1 what is carbon    
then but diamond debased80  ,neither    
does this exhaust the argument4 ,the    
ruby owns a matrix3 the pearl grows in  
the mother-of-pearl4 ,what is the nature
 of the diamond-rock8 ,is it a dark     
conglomerate8 or is it diaphanous8  ,we 
know how diamonds are obtained3 how they
 are picked out of the crevices of      
certain rocks1 and washed out of the    
sands of certain rivers--in the         
,carnatic1 and ,brazil1 and ,borneo2 but
 we do not seem to be much nearer to the
 history of their parentage4  ,again1   
what is their 8crust0 or coating with   
which they are always found enveloped8  
,is it an integral part of the stone1 or
 is it adventitious8 ,in the best       
diamonds this crust is of a greenish    
hue4  ,some say that while the gem      
itself has positive electricity1 its    
crust shows negative4 ,if this be so1   
the last question is answered--the crust
 in that case cannot be an integral part
 of the stone4 ,the only absolute reason

 ,i know of for concluding the diamond  
to be a derived substance is1 that it is
 laminar4 ,the ,eastern lapidaries1 as  
it is well known1 will sometimes divide 
a stone by striking it a sharp blow in  
the cleavage4  ,after all1 the most     
extraordinary property of the diamond1  
as pure carbon1 is its weight4 ,it is   
fifty times the weight of refined       
charcoal4 ,how was the element of carbon
 condensed and inspissated thus8 ,was it
 by the action of ,,light8 ,this is the 
vegetable analogy2 as we see in the case
 of all growing plants3 did it hold     
here8         99       99       99      
99       99  ,if we were to inquire how 
oriental sapphires1 including the ruby1 
the blue sapphire1 the emerald1 and the 
amethyst1 are formed from ,,clay1 that  
clay which exists in the granite rocks1 
the difficulty would be nearly as great4
 ,we do not know at all4  ,but there is 
some satisfaction in having undoubted   
proof of the nature of their 8base40    
,and the obvious evidence upon this     

point is very simple1 and prior to that 
of chemical analysis4 ,my own attention 
was first drawn to it many years ago1 in
 a casual remark made by a friend4 ,we  
were handling some crystals of the white
 sapphire1 a stone of little value4     
8,these look very like glass10 said ,i4 
8,yes1 but you may always tell them from
 glass by their coldness4 ,touch one    
with your tongue40 ,then followed the   
inquiry4 8,and why is it so much colder 
than glass is80 8,because the #8base' of
 the sapphire is ,,clay1 and clay is a  
very cold substance40         99        
99       99       99       99  ,let us  
now pass on to consider the question of 
,,colour4 ,in the existing varieties of 
gems1 we have all the colours of the    
spectrum perpetuated and vivid4  ,what  
is the source of these colours8 ,and how
 are they blended with the solid        
crystal8  ,there seems to be no reason  
for doubting that the immediate source  
or cause of colour is the presence of   
some oxidized metal4 ,all the colours   

which ,nature has impressed appear1 as  
far as we can trace them1 to be due to  
such a presence4 ,opaline tints1 and    
those of the 8cat's eye10 are an        
exception2 being the perceptible result 
of a peculiar texture and configuration2
 so also are the iridescent hues on a   
soap-bubble1 which are probably caused  
by polarized light4 ,but it is a metal  
which makes the bark of certain trees   
and shrubs to glisten2 aided1 in the    
case of the birch and wheat-stubble1 by 
particles of silex4 ,it is a metal1     
absorbed from juices of the soil1 which 
gives their tints to flowers1 and their 
deep tinge to fruits4 ,it is a metal    
which dyes the plumes of the            
king-fisher2 and the gleaming scales of 
the dragon-fly and diamond-beetle owe   
their brilliancy to metallic lustre4    
,why should this all-pervading law vary 
in the crystals8  ,we know that metals  
proper affect crystalline forms1        
assuming them spontaneously2 and we know
 that the gems have come in contact with

 metals4 ,iron1 whose rust is of a      
reddish hue1 enters into many of them2  
and in the red stones it is said to be  
abundant4  ,probably1 the finer         
permanent tints are due to gold1 in     
infinitesimal proportions4 ,professor   
,faraday has said that the ruby-tinted  
glass called 8,bohemian0 derives its    
colour from gold in a pure form1 finely 
attenuated1 and not from any chemical   
combination of that substance4  ,a white
 diamond has far more lustre than one   
which is yellow or violet-tinted4 ,but  
in all the sapphires1 the deeper the    
hue1 the more brilliant and valuable the
 stone4 ,hence the technical term for   
the colour of a diamond is its water4   
,in all these gems the hues 7whatever   
their origin7 are homogeneously united  
with the crystal2 and the modus operandi
 of ,nature is a profound secret4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,when we descend in the mineralogical   
scale1 and come to such stones as agates
 and jaspers1 the process which has been

 followed seems quite capable of being  
traced--for its antiquity is not so     
great4 ,the colours which we now find in
 pebbles more or less opaque1 though    
occasionally lively1 exist under very   
different conditions from those by which
 they reside in the crystalline gems4   
,it is necessary1 however1 to consider  
first1 the origin and nature of pebbles 
as distinguished from casual fragments  
of stone4  ,this was long held to be one
 of ,nature's riddles2 but as soon as it
 was experimentally dealt with1 it met  
with a solution in some of its most     
difficult points4  ,it was early decided
 that pebbles are distinct formations1  
complete in themselves1 except in so far
 as they have been worn away by gradual 
attrition4 ,the first difficulty was1   
how to account for the great hardness of
 many of our seaside specimens4         
,although for the most part inclosing an
 8organism10 which must have been that  
of some zoophyte1 they show no traces1  
in their present compact texture1 of the

 soft and yielding consistency they must
 at that time have possessed4 ,the      
matrix in which they lie1 and from which
 they drop as the ripe nuts fall from a 
hazel-bush1 is seldom or never of so    
hard a substance as are the pebbles     
themselves2 in many cases the difference
 is as great as between the teeth and   
gums of a living mammal4  ,but the      
evidence of the inclosed organism is    
conclusive as to a past history2 and in 
all mixed pebbles--and ninety-nine out  
of a hundred of ours are mixed--it is   
quite certain that an impregnation1 or  
an actual infiltration1 has taken place4
  ,either a fluid menstruum1 usually    
siliceous1 must have enveloped and      
saturated the animal form1 or there was 
actual injection of chalcedony and      
limestone1 in a soft state1 into the    
tubes and cells of the skeleton first1  
and afterwards into the pores and       
crevices of the new stone4 ,frequently  
both processes have obtained4 ,the only 
alternative1 viz4 that which suggests   

that composite pebbles1 revealing in    
their structure distinct traces of      
animal or vegetable organization1 may   
have been formed thus at first1 like the
 coloured prints in a book1 ,i consider 
to be untenable4 ,one might as readily  
credit a spontaneous growth of          
almond-cakes or oyster-patties by some  
sudden spasmodic effort of our present  
sea and land4  ,impregnation has1 no    
doubt1 been always going on4  ,a ,french
 savant1 ,m4 ,reaumur1 above a century  
ago1 wrote as follows3--8,by a coarse   
operation emery is reduced to powder and
 suspended in water for several days2   
but nature may go much further than     
this1 for the particles which water     
detaches from hard stones1 by simple    
attrition1 are of an almost             
inconceivable degree of fineness4 ,water
 thus impregnated contributes to the    
formation of pebbles by petrifying the  
stone1 as it were1 a second time4       
,stones already formed1 but having as   
yet a spongy texture1 acquire a flinty  

hardness by impregnation with this      
crystalline fluid40#c  ,from such a     
source1 as he supposes1 has arisen the  
close texture of ,egyptian pebbles1     
coloured jaspers1 and even agates4 ,if  
he means to include the homogeneous     
agates1 which are alike free from sparry
 crystals1 metallic scum1 and all traces
 of organized matter1 ,i do not agree   
with him4 ,but in the case of mixed     
chalcedonic pebbles1 among which may be 
classed our pretty ,isle of ,wight      
specimens1 no doubt such impregnation   
took place1 and was followed by a       
further process of infiltration4 ,for   
when the flint-nodules1 impregnated as  
above1 were still soft--soft enough we  
know they were to take delicate         
impressions of the spines of the        
echinus--chalcedony1 in a semi-fluid or 
viscous state1 would pass through the   
pores of the flint1 because the former  
is the finer substance of the two4 ,and 
after such infiltration1 the entire lump
 would harden1 resisting1 for the most  

part1 further change4 ,and this would be
 the pebble as we now find it4  ,in the 
8,geological ,museum10 now open in      
,jermyn ,street1 there is a case 7on the
 first floor7 where the nature of       
infiltration is well shown in some      
jasper-agates4 ,it will readily be seen 
here that each internal layer has been  
formed in succession from without1 the  
centre of the pebble filling up last4   
,in another case 7labelled 8,silica071  
on the opposite side of this room1 are  
some 8choanites0 and 8sponges0 presented
 by the author4  ,those latter will be  
found worthy of ten minutes' inspection1
 even as seen through the plate of glass
 which serves to protect them4 ,they are
 selected1 not as being the finest      
specimens in his cabinet1 but as        
illustrating1 each of them1 a particular
 animal1 or a peculiar position of one  
in the fossil state4 ,they are1 however1
 very good specimens1 much above the    
average2 and if any one became missing1 
it could never be exactly replaced1     

though you should search the world over4
 ,nature does not stamp the same 8medal0
 twice4 ,any person who1 after examining
 these1 likes to start a theory of his  
own to account for their forms and      
colours1 has my full permission to do   
so4 ,but one word ,i would say in       
friendly warning1 seeing that theories  
do abound4 ,the ,chinese1 that ancient  
and wise people1 have a theory that     
8asbestos0 cloth may have been          
manufactured 8of the hair of certain    
rats that lived in the flames of certain
 volcanoes40 ,it were monstrous to doubt
 it4  ,in my beach-rambles ,i have often
 picked up and examined globes of       
sandstone which were partially          
chalcedonized1 and that by evident      
infiltration4 ,the lapidaries call these
 8sand-agates10 and reject them as unfit
 for the wheel2 and so they are at      
present1 but it would be instructive to 
meet with some of them twenty years     
hence1 after they had undergone a more  
confirmed treatment at the hands of     

,dame ,nature4  ,the well-known         
specimens of 8petrified wood10 common on
 our coasts1 and occurring in some      
beautiful varieties of beech and acacia 
in the bays of ,south ,devon1 are a     
further example of infiltration2 but the
 process here must have been somewhat   
different4  ,the presence of metallic   
particles1 what lapidaries term the     
8moss10 in many of our agates1 argues an
 impregnating fluid1 thoroughly charged 
with mineral matter4 ,in most cases this
 fluid was a ferruginous stream1 such as
 may often be seen issuing from some    
hidden reservoir1 and trickling down the
 face of a cliff of gault or greensand4 
,this tinges everything that lies in its
 path with an indelible red stain2 it   
then oozes on through the shingle1 and  
reaches the verge of the sand4 ,the     
nearest pool becomes saturated between  
tides1 and the suspended crystals of    
salt1 which are of a penetrating        
character 7as the state of your         
beaching-boots will soon inform you71   

enter into chemical combination with the
 metallic rust1 and help to conduct its 
particles into the heart of many a      
limestone pebble4  ,dark inland pebbles1
 on the other hand1 will discharge much 
of the oxide which they have imbibed1   
and may be observed to brighten and     
improve their complexions after a few   
months' sponging and tossing in the     
purer sea-water4  ,some of our handsomer
 pebbles1 when cut in two1 reveal       
blotches of metal1 which are glossy     
after polishing on the wheel4 ,this     
metal is occasionally native iron4 ,the 
darker varieties of 8moss0 contain a    
good deal of manganese1 and some silver4
  ,from what has been said about        
impregnation1 we may readily conclude   
that the colours found in our           
agate-pebbles have been chemically      
inwrought1 and that the symmetrical     
patterns1 over which these colours are  
disposed1 are not due to a succession of
 8layers10 as in the ribbon-jaspers and 
,scotch pebbles1 but must be referred to

 the organization of some extinct       
zoophyte1 whose skeleton is preserved in
 the existing fossil4  ,the cause of    
translucency1 or even transparency1 in  
some pebbles is1 no doubt1 to be sought 
in their finer and more even texture1   
but especially in the latter quality4   
,sir ,isaac ,newton was of opinion that 
the opacity of certain substances is    
simply a result of their cross-grained  
composition4 ,he held that in a         
transparent body the particles must be  
regularly and evenly disposed at equal  
intervals1 so that a ray of light       
entering such a substance would pass    
steadily on1 according to the known laws
 of gravity and motion1 meeting with no 
obstruction beyond that of the          
homogeneous density of the medium which 
it had to traverse4 ,whereas1 in opaque 
bodies1 he supposes these constituent   
particles to be unevenly disposed1 and  
that the ray which enters at the surface
 is1 as it were1 pushed about and thrust
 aside1 and at length lost to sight4    

,the purity of spring-water1 when       
undisturbed1 illustrates this beautiful 
theory of the great philosopher2 and1   
among solid substances1 good glass1     
especially plate-glass which1 after     
fusing in the furnace1 has been         
carefully run and settled in the frames4
 ,it may also be simply shown in the act
 of wetting or steeping certain dry     
substances4 ,thus1 stout writing-paper1 
owing to its cross texture1 is opaque   
when dry2 but if we immerse a sheet of  
it in oil1 and then hold it up to the   
light1 we find it has become            
transparent4 ,for the smooth medium thus
 imbibed has entered its pores1 and     
equalized the general texture4  ,we find
 also a striking argument for the       
probable truth of ,newton's eagle-eyed  
conclusion in certain minerals which    
possess double refraction4  ,,iceland   
,,spar1 one of these1 is perhaps the    
most perfectly transparent solid with   
which we are acquainted4 ,now1 ,iceland 
,spar transmits both the rays1 as we see

 in the twofold image which is presented
 to us4 ,but ,,tourmaline is opaque1    
even the red specimens looking almost   
black2 and we find that ,tourmaline     
absorbs one of the two rays of polarized
 light4 ,this singular stone polarizes a
 beam of light if it enter in any       
direction but that of the longer axis4  
,no solid with which we are acquainted  
is absolutely transparent4 ,and there is
 no perfect reflector known4 ,the       
best-polished surface absorbs nearly    
one-half of that quantity of light which
 strikes upon it4  ,as to our seaside   
pebbles1 the most compact of them are   
even visibly porous4 ,cut through the   
hardest jasper1 and polish one face till
 it shines like a steel mirror1 and then
 hold it so as to reflect the light1 you
 will at once discern numerous minute   
specks or flaws on this surface1 as if  
the point of a needle or graving-tool   
had been busily at work upon it4 ,these 
specks have always been there4 ,they are
 air-holes1 and in the case of a        

fossil-pebble were1 some of them1       
doubtless1 connected with the position  
which the animal occupied just before he
 died4 ,these air-holes must have       
traversed this hard stone in every      
direction1 for1 cut the pebble how you  
will1 you meet with them4 ,others again1
 incomparably more numerous1 but which  
can scarcely be discerned without the   
aid of a powerful microscope1 are the   
true pores belonging to this apparently 
impenetrable substance4  ,i have found  
that the action of daylight tells even  
upon polished agates after a time4 ,some
 of the spots and markings in the finest
 stones grow fainter in the course of   
many years4 ,others appear to deepen4   
,this is1 no doubt1 a change resulting  
from the oxygen1 contained in a beam of 
light1 acting readily upon carbon1      
silex1 and other substances4 ,and it    
furnishes an independent argument for   
concluding that the visible beauty of   
these formations1 in perpetuating a     
coloured pattern1 has been due rather to

 mixed chemical processes than to pure  
crystallography4  ,the fossil nodules1  
mostly siliceous1 which we find upon a  
sea-beach1 are integral specimens4 ,it  
never but once happened to me to meet   
with what appeared to be two choanites  
in the same pebble1 and ,i incline now  
to believe that this was in fact one    
choanite who had divided himself after  
the manner of the ,luidia4 ,but even    
supposing that here were1 indeed1 a pair
 of perfect animals1 when it is         
considered that this was one single     
instance1 occurring among more than a   
thousand picked up by me1 in which the  
choanites were always solitary1 such an 
exception may be almost said to prove   
the rule4  ,the late lamented ,hugh     
,miller has stated the like fact        
concerning his ,morayshire and ,cromarty
 icthyolites4 ,at pp4 #aid1 #aie1 of his
 8,cruise of the ,betsy10 he remarks    
that 8the limestone nodules take very   
generally the form of the fish which    
they inclose2 they are stone coffins    

carefully moulded to express the outline
 of the corpses lying within40 ,then1   
after observing that the shape of the   
stone conforms to the attitude of the   
fish in every instance1 he goes on to   
state that 8the size of the fish        
regulates that of the nodule4 ,the      
coffin is generally as good a fit in    
size as in form2 and the bulk of the    
nodule bears almost always a definite   
proportion to the amount of animal round
 which it had formed40  ,he then gives1 
in his usual clear and graphic language1
 the following remarkable statement1 the
 result of direct experiment4  8,when a 
calcareous earth1 mixed up with sand1   
clay1 and other extraneous matters1 was 
deposited on some of the commoner       
molluscs of our shores1 it was          
universally found that the mass1        
incoherent everywhere else1 had acquired
 a solidity wherever it had been        
penetrated by the animal matter of the  
molluscs4 ,each animal1 in proportion to
 its size1 was found to retain1 as in   

the fossiliferous spindles of the ,old  
,red ,sandstone1 its coherent nodule    
around it4 ,here the animal matter gave 
solidity to the lime in contact with it4
 ,but in the natural phenomenon of the  
icthyolite beds1 there was yet a further
 point1 for in these the animal matter  
must have possessed such an affinity for
 the mineral1 as to form1 in an         
argillaceous compound1 a centre of      
attraction powerful enough to draw      
together the lime diffused throughout   
the mass40  ,hugh ,miller concludes the 
above passage by saying that 8it still  
remains for the geologic chemist to     
discover on what principle masses of    
animal matter should form the attracting
 nuclei of limestone nodules40  ,upon   
which last remark1 ,i would suggest that
 the principle of the 8law of definite  
proportions10 established by ,dalton1   
and fully borne out by all succeeding   
experiments in chemistry1 appears to    
meet the case1 geologically as well as  
chemically1 in every respect4 ,for such 

a law must of course obtain1 whether the
 chemical ingredients be present in the 
forms of mineral1 vegetable1 or animal  
life2 in fact1 we have never known the  
law to vary4 ,it holds for the          
compounded elements which we term ,,air 
and ,,water2 it holds for the crystals2 
it holds for vascular and cellular      
tissues2 why should it fail when the    
further instance of a mollusc or a      
zoophyte is in question8  ,i see no     
reason to doubt that the blood1 muscle1 
membrane1 or adipose matter of any      
animal have their due respective        
affinities for the different substances 
of the mineral creation4  ,no doubt1    
however1 electricity1 as an active      
cause1 bears directly upon all such     
phenomena4  ,i remember many years since
 being greatly perplexed with the       
discovery 7as ,i then thought it7 that  
in certain parts of the ,isle of ,wight1
 and along the ,dorsetshire coast1 the  
rows of dark flints imbedded in the     
upper chalk of the cliff-ranges were all

 broken2 broken small1 so that if one   
were taken out of its chalk socket it   
crumbled in your hand4 ,often and often1
 ,i turned this fact over in my mind1   
and sought some apparent way to account 
for it4 ,but ,i think ,i now see one way
 to account for it2 and which may       
perhaps be judged worthy of acceptance1 
until a better solution is hit upon4 ,in
 ,dr4 ,hook's experiment with that once 
common household implement1 the 8flint  
and steel10 he found that the sparks    
which 8fly0 upon collision taking place 
are minute spherules of metal4 ,and     
further1 that this metal was now not    
steel any longer1 but iron2 the         
fragments struck off having lost their  
polarity in the moment of contact with  
the flint4  ,this experiment shows that 
silex possesses some remarkable affinity
 for the magnetic fluid1 since in this  
case it had robbed the steel of it1 for 
those spherules would not answer to the 
magnet4 ,may not1 therefore1 the rows of
 flints in the cliff have attracted the 

lightning in severe thunderstorms1 and  
been shivered by the blow8 ,this would  
not necessarily hurl the chalk down4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the ,arabs have a proverb which says1  
8,under the lamp it is dark40           
,certainly1 the chief mystery of every  
animated creature seems to reside in its
 life1 and ,life is like a burning lamp4
 ,once the life extinct1 we can         
anatomize and analyze1 and arrive at    
many partial conclusions2 but1          
meanwhile1 the life has departed1 and we
 do not know what that was4 ,the nearest
 thing to its likeness is expression2   
and animals rank high in the scale of   
being1 according as they command and    
impart expression4 ,a dog or horse have 
a great deal2 a bird some2 a reptile or 
insect1 absolutely none to our eyes4    
,with these latter1 however1 their      
habits1 while alive1 take the place of  
any more intelligent expression2        
especially some of their more excited   
movements4 ,we know by the sound1 when a

 snake is angry2 and as to motion1 the  
attack of a provoked hornet is a        
startling thing to witness4 ,ordinarily 
speaking1 however1 all their habits tend
 to concealment2 no doubt1 for the sake 
of safety4 ,i believe no one ever sees  
the ,sphynx-moth1 called a              
8,death's-head0 7,acherontia ,atropos71 
on the wing4 ,yet we discern many others
 which1 like it1 fly in the hours of    
dusk4 ,but this insect whirls through   
the air like a stone from a sling4 ,it  
has never yet1 in my experience as a    
naturalist1 been my lot to meet with the
 burrowing insect called an ,ant-lion4  
,only twice in my life have ,i          
encountered a slow-worm in the woods of 
,devon and the ,isle of ,wight4 ,and to 
instance the case of a far commoner     
creature1 how seldom does it happen to  
any one to take the large dragon-fly    
behind his green leaf6         99       
99       99       99       99  ,and yet 
the problems of inanimate matter are    
perhaps the most difficult to solve4    

,they have deeply exercised philosophers
 in every age of the world4  8,all      
things considered10 says ,newton1 8,i   
think it probable that ,god1 in the     
beginning1 formed matter in solid1 hard1
 impenetrable1 movable particles2 of    
such sizes and figures1 and with such   
other properties as most conduced to the
 end for which ,he formed them4 ,and    
that these primitive particles1 being   
solids1 are incomparably harder than any
 of the sensible porous bodies          
compounded of them2 even so hard as     
never to wear1 or break in pieces2 no   
other power being able to divide what   
,god made one in the first ,creation4   
,while these corpuscles remain entire1  
they may compose bodies of one and the  
same matter and texture in all ages2 but
 should they wear away or break in      
pieces1 the nature of things depending  
on them would be changed4 ,water and    
earth composed of old worn particles and
 fragments of particles1 would not be of
 the same nature and texture now with   

water and earth composed of entire      
particles at the beginning4 ,and        
therefore1 that ,nature may be lasting1 
the changes of corporeal things are to  
be placed only in the various           
separations and new associations of     
these permanent corpuscles40  ,so wrote 
the man1 8,qui genus humanum ingenio    
superavit10 who at the age of           
twenty-four had already invented the    
,fluxional ,calculus1 discovered the    
,decomposition of ,light1 and enunciated
 and proved1 in a series of lemmas1 the 
law of ,universal ,gravitation4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,but soft6 ,what is this which steals   
upon our senses through bobbing         
apple-blossoms at the open casement8 ,it
 is the delicious1 oystery smell of the 
,sea1 as the afternoon tide runs in with
 a sound like that of fairy-bells upon  
the sand and rock and loose shingle4    
,that scent1 and sight1 and sound1 are  
altogether irresistible4 ,we throw aside
 ,dr4 ,buckland and ,hugh ,miller1 clap 

on a 8wide-awake10 rush down at once by 
the zig-zag path1 and madly catch up a  
bunch of dripping tangle1 and kick a    
hole in the moist sand1 and presently   
find that our 8,balmorals0 are          
ancle-deep in the brine of a nimble     
wave4  ,and now ,i descry a faint       
purplish hue upon the red beach which   
lies at the foot of ,culver4 ,to-morrow1
 we will breakfast early1 and hunt up a 
score of pebbles before the day grows   
hot4  #c 8,mmoires de l',acadmie des    
,sciences40 ,anno1 #agba4     ,,chapter 
,,viii4      ,,pneumatics ,,and         
,,hydraulics4--,,power ,,of ,,the       
,,wind4--,,power ,,of ,,the     ,,waves1
 ,,and ,,velocity ,,acquired ,,by ,,the 
,,water4--,,occasional ,,height     ,,of
 ,,tides4--,,tidal                      
,,wave4--,,currents4--,,tidal           
,,phenomena ,,on ,,the ,,isle ,,of      
,,wight4--,,variations ,,in ,,the       
,,coast-,,line4   ,the elemental powers 
which are constantly at work in ,nature 
all around us are upon a vast scale2 a  

scale1 in fact1 which is immeasurable by
 us1 except when observed under certain 
favourable circumstances4 ,as our       
practical ideas of locomotion are       
immensely surpassed by the speed of the 
,earth's rotation on her axis1 which is 
at the equator rather more than #ajjj   
miles an hour1 and yet far more         
surpassed by the rate at which she moves
 in her orbit round the ,sun1 which     
exceeds #bj1jjj miles an hour1 so also  
our experience of a puff of wind on the 
hillside1 or a dash of water in our     
face1 when a slanting shower or the     
spray from a cataract salutes us1 gives 
us no conception of the stupendous      
powers which are exerted when the sea1  
convulsed by a storm1 rages along some  
unprotected coast4  ,once in my life1 ,i
 remember being knocked down by a blast 
of wind2 and several times1 as ,i       
suppose has happened to many persons1 ,i
 have been floored by an unexpected     
billow while bathing4 ,i always made    
this reflection at the moment3 8,its    

power is not known3 it has floored me   
easily enough1 but perhaps it would have
 felled an ox40  ,but a wave impelled by
 the gale1 which could take an ox off   
his legs1 is nothing at all4 ,what is   
the measure of force actually applied   
when a stout ship is shivered on a lee  
shore8 ,no one knows4 ,when the         
,clarendon1 ,west-,indiaman1 struck on  
that fatal 8race0 off ,blackgang ,chine1
 she went utterly to pieces within seven
 minutes6 ,yet1 what a delicate thing is
 ,,air6 ,what a yielding thing is       
,,water6 ,but then the air and water    
threw her on a lee shore4               
,observations1 carefully made at the    
right time and place1 enlighten our     
ignorance upon all these matters4 ,air1 
delicate as it seems1 when compressed1  
explodes in the roar of the thunder2 and
 water is almost incompressible1 and    
therefore its blow will knock down      
anything4  ,let us speak first of the   
power of the ,,wind4 ,the sands of the  
,desert1 as has been said1 are powdered 

quartz and quartz is a heavy substance2 
but when a strong wind ploughs the      
surface of the ,desert at an angle1     
these ,sands are lifted1 and made to    
gyrate in spiral folds1 and a huge      
column is formed--perhaps a hundred and 
fifty feet in height--and this monstrous
 trunk is presently carried along at    
whirlwind speed2 and if it meet a party 
of travellers1 they will be overwhelmed 
and buried4  ,it may be said that the   
sand is in very minute particles2 and   
this is true4 ,but if they are1         
therefore1 the more easy to disturb and 
to catch up aloft1 they are all the more
 difficult to bind together in a spiral 
form1 and to hurry along the desert     
unbroken4  ,the power of the wind1      
especially when it comes in sudden      
gusts1 and with a whirling motion1      
against timber-trees and the upper parts
 of buildings1 is only too well known2  
on wide1 exposed plains1 its fury1 in   
the early part of the year1 sometimes   
brings destruction to everything within 

its range4 ,but it is on the open sea1  
where the hurricane1 once let loose from
 heaven1 can sweep1 unchecked1 perhaps  
for hundreds of miles1 that the latent  
forces of this unseen element are       
revealed in all their terror and        
majesty4 ,for here the wind not only has
 free scope1 but it also finds another  
element1 fluid but incompressible1 to   
obey its impulse and follow in the      
course which it takes4 ,if the ,,wind be
 like a wild spirit1 the ,,water is a   
mighty1 irresistible body1 endowed with 
motion by the other1 and capable of any 
work1 from the drowning of a sea-gull to
 the wrecking of a stately ship4  ,the  
waves which roll in from the open sea1  
when the tide is making1 are the most   
powerful4 ,fortunately1 these do not    
reach the shore with quite the same     
force which they exert at the distance  
of some miles from it2 but in exposed   
situations1 their altitude and momentum 
are very great4 ,the billows of the     
,atlantic which break on the western    

coast of ,ireland run from thirty feet  
to fifty feet in height1 and they arrive
 on that coast with an impetus which has
 7up to a certain point7 been gaining   
strength1 perhaps for half the time of a
 tide4 ,it was this fearful onset1 from 
a foe that never slumbered1 which broke 
up and rendered useless the eastern     
extremity of the great ,submarine       
,electric ,telegraph ,cable between     
,ireland and ,america4  ,it has now been
 decided that when stormy winds prevail 
long in one direction1 another and      
peculiar force is given to the waves on 
which they operate4 ,for the wind1 by   
pressing long on the side of a wave1    
changes its form from that of an upright
 ridge 7i4e4 with vertical axis7 to one 
which has a stoop or bend1 sometimes of 
great inclination4 ,such a wave will    
come in upon the shore with far greater 
momentum1 for its velocity has been     
enormously increased1 while its bulk is 
nowise diminished4 ,the speed which the 
water acquires under the influence of a 

prolonged sou'-wester on the coasts of  
,sussex and ,hampshire1 although there  
the gale has only traversed the breadth 
of the ,channel1 is very notable at     
times4 ,at ,lowestoft and at ,peterhead1
 easterly points of land1 the danger of 
the winds from the ,north ,sea is       
proportionally far greater1 as a larger 
body of water has been continuously     
acted upon4 ,for it must always be      
remembered that a wave at sea is simply 
an oscillation of the water which rises 
and falls in that place4 ,the identical 
wave does not pass on to the shore1     
though it appears to do so2 it is the   
motion which is propagated1 and1 as it  
were1 handed on1 like an electric shock 
through the successive plates of a      
battery4 ,now this motion increases with
 the onward career of the gale4 8,vires 
acquirit eundo40 ,and when the mass of  
the fluid over which the wind is blowing
 has once been agitated1 and the        
equilibrium of its upper layers been    
thoroughly disturbed1 if the current of 

air not only continue1 but wax stronger 
and stronger1 there scarcely seems any  
limit to the momentum which the rolling 
wave may thus acquire4 ,the arithmetic  
of a few facts upon this subject will1  
however1 give us some idea of what that 
momentum must be on certain occasions4  
,it has been found1 by experiment1 that 
the velocity imparted to an incoming    
wave sometimes equals seventy feet in a 
second of time4 ,now this would give    
nearly one mile in a minute1 if it were 
a projectile in free space2 but the case
 here is1 of course1 different1 since   
the wave is only a portion of the mass  
to which it belongs1 and no individual  
wave travels very far4 ,still1 the      
amount of rush and pressure which are   
exerted is altogether stupendous4       
,probably the breakers1 which in an     
enduring storm rise against a lighthouse
 in the open sea1 are among the         
strongest instances with which we are   
acquainted1 and1 next to these1 ,i      
suppose1 the billows off the ,cape of   

,good ,hope4 ,but we may take those on  
the ,irish coast1 westward1 as a        
well-known sample4 ,i have often watched
 these--once in a gale of wind--and ,i  
have seen1 in one as yet unbroken wave1 
a body of water which ,i should compute 
roughly at two hundred tons' weight1 and
 as having1 at the moment1 a velocity of
 not less than sixty feet in the second1
 discharge itself upon the reef of rock4
 ,on such occasions1 if you happen to   
stand on the shore1 you will feel the   
ground vibrate apparently1 though the   
sensation is probably electrical4 ,but  
let any one consider the conditions of  
the wave cited above1 and reckon what is
 the force of the blow at the moment of 
impact4 ,i have no doubt it would knock 
down a good strong house1 if delivered  
against the upright face of it4  ,one   
winter1 when ,i was at ,sandown1 in the 
,isle of ,wight1 a spot frequently      
mentioned in these pages1 ,i found ,i   
was utterly unable to traverse the bit  
of open road reaching from the ,fort to 

the point where the lane turns off to   
,yaverland4 ,yet ,i had on at the time a
 stout ,cording's waterproof1 with      
sleeves1 and a slouched hat tied under  
my chin1 and held a powerful oaken stick
 in my hand to help me win my way4 ,in  
fact1 it was a trial of dynamics between
 me and the gale1 whether this 8body10  
acted on by a continuous muscular force1
 in nearly a right line1 could be       
propelled through that resisting medium4
 ,i am sorry to say1 it could not2 but1 
in the attempt1 it lost a neck-button   
from its coat1 and was within an ace of 
being blown into the hedge1 like a      
certain 8man in ,thessaly1 wondrous     
wise10 whom we have heard tell of in our
 childhood4  ,this storm held on for    
seven or eight hours1 and as the sea    
rose many feet higher than usual under  
its influence1 when the tide was well   
in1 the strife of elements1 and their   
combined assault upon the works of men's
 hands were truly grand4 ,a breach was  
made through the solid causeway1 compact

 long ago of clay1 and gravel1 and      
boulders of flint1 and guarded seaward  
by dykes of timber4 ,this breach was    
effected1 ,i have no doubt1 by the      
stroke of the wave1 as the sword of     
,roland is said to have cut through the 
rock in the fight of ,roncesvalles4 ,a  
wall of stout masonry1 not above five   
feet in height1 and supported behind by 
earthworks1 so as to resemble an        
escarpment1 yielded before the weight of
 water1 as a pane of plate-glass would  
give way at the charge of a locomotive  
engine4 ,some twenty yards' length of it
 was rent and thrown down4 ,on examining
 this fragment afterwards1 ,i found that
 the materials of the wall were solid   
blocks and angular bits of ,wenlock     
limestone1 and the cement used of the   
strongest4 ,i believe1 however1 if it   
had been three times as strong a        
barrier1 those waves would have levelled
 it4  ,i subsequently witnessed in that 
very neighbourhood a yet more furious   
tempest of wind1 but had no opportunity 

of measuring its effects4  ,at          
,eastbourne1 about two years age1 ,i    
made acquaintance with a phenomenon in  
this line which was altogether new to my
 experience4 ,we had a tremendous gale  
late in the autumn of #aheg4 ,i cannot  
exactly cite the quarter from which the 
wind blew1 as ,i do not accurately know 
the points of the compass in their      
bearing on the town and bay2 but the    
storm seemed to beat in from the        
south-east1 as it faced the ,marine     
,esplanade4 ,i went forth1 with perhaps 
a score of others1 to gaze upon this    
magnificent 8encountering shock0 of     
earth1 air1 and water4 ,we were all of  
us drenched to the skin by the dashing  
spray1 and occasionally well-nigh swept 
off our legs by the gust2 but we held on
 stoutly1 till something saluted those  
nearest the beach1 which rendered a     
retreat imperative4 ,this was not the   
salt spray1 nor the rattling hail       
neither1 but a cloud of 8skirmishers0 in
 the shape of pebbles and gravel from   

the strand below4 ,the sea had actually 
lifted the surface of the bed of beach1 
and whirled aloft some bushels of its   
solid contents4 ,a coast-guard told me  
next day1 that he saw a 8flight0 of     
pebbles1 some of them as big as hens'   
eggs1 at least thirty feet high in the  
air2 and he added1 that if the direction
 of the wind had changed a little1 every
 pane of glass on the ground and        
first-floor of the ,esplanade must have 
been shivered to atoms4 ,as it was1 of  
course much damage was done to windows  
and sashes2 but not by the actual       
pebbles4  ,after this gale had subsided1
 ,i ascertained by personal inspection  
that some hundred tons' weight of solid 
shingle had been moved along the shore a
 distance of a quarter of a mile1 in the
 space of a few hours4 ,this was by the 
sidelong drag of the tide4  ,the village
 of ,seaford1 on this same line of      
coast1 had long been in great danger of 
being swept away by the tide4 ,its      
outworks and very standing ground were  

perceptibly yielding1 season after      
season4  ,about eight years ago1 the    
inhabitants took the alarm1 and drew up 
a remonstrance and petition1 which were 
duly forwarded to the authorities4      
,proper officers were deputed to go down
 from ,london and report2 and the result
 of their representations was that an   
able engineer from head-quarters was    
empowered 8videre ne quid ,respublica   
detrimenti capiat20 or1 in the modern   
vernacular1 to see that the ,queen's    
lieges in ,seaford suffered no wrong4   
,the remedy hit upon was simple and     
forcible2 but1 assuredly1 it was an     
instance of what is called 8,hobson's   
choice40 ,the engineer said1 8,there is 
only one thing to be done2 a solid      
breakwater must be formed west of the   
town1 to break the rush of the sea and  
divert the course of the current4 ,we   
will throw down a section of the        
chalk-cliff2 that will make a mound1 on 
which works of masonry1 if necessary1   
can be erected afterwards40  ,this was  

done about two miles east of ,newhaven1 
by firing an enormous charge of         
gunpowder in chambers drilled in the    
limestone4 ,i went over from ,brighton  
to witness it1 and the sight was a      
striking one1 as soon as the smoke and  
dust consequent on the explosion had    
cleared away4 ,the operation1 neatly    
conducted with an electric battery1     
proved successful2 and its result1 in   
the amount of chalk thrown down on the  
beach1 was judged sufficient for the    
time4  ,but for this 8pice de           
resistance10 ,seaford might by this be  
in a fair way to furnish to future      
generations a gigantic specimen of a    
marine fossil4  ,the danger to ,seaford 
arose not from storms or any casual     
visitations1 but from the steady        
continuous action of the tide           
encroaching on the line of coast where  
the town stands4 ,whether the chalky    
breakwater above described will long    
suffice to counteract this elemental    
mischief may be doubted4 ,if after a    

while it should prove inadequate1 the   
operation will have to be repeated on a 
larger scale4  ,the height of the tides 
at sea is always known2 and it varies   
little1 depending upon astronomical     
causes1 chiefly on the attraction       
exercised by the moon4 ,but on shore1   
and inland in certain rivers1 the case  
is widely different4 ,here the land     
itself1 with its rocks and embankments1 
introduces artificial conditions which  
influence the local tides in an         
extraordinary manner4 ,thus1 at         
,chepstow1 by the ,castle rock1 the rise
 of a spring-tide is sometimes as much  
as sixty feet perpendicular4 ,in        
,mount's ,bay1 ,cornwall1 it is fully   
forty feet2 while in the north of       
,scotland on the coast1 it does not     
average more than ten4  ,the tides have 
other variations beside this of local   
magnitude2 and one of these1 which takes
 place along our southern coast1 is     
interesting and important1 but was      
little known till the ,admiralty        

surveyors went to work4 ,it may be      
briefly described as follows4  ,as far  
as ,scilly ,isles and the ,lizard's     
,point1 the great tidal wave1 which     
twice in every twenty-four hours flows  
in from the ,atlantic1 maintains pretty 
nearly the same level on the opposite   
shores2 and this continues as far as    
,exmouth on the ,devon coast1 and ,st4  
,malo on that of ,brittany4 ,but when   
this great wave reaches the 8,needles0  
which form the westerly point of the    
,isle of ,wight1 it divides into two    
very unequal portions4 ,of these1 the   
southern and larger portion sweeps round
 the base of the island1 passing        
,freshwater and ,chale and ,blackgang1  
and then rounding ,st4 ,catherine's     
promontory and running up to ,dunnose   
with scarcely-diminished velocity2 but  
the northern and smaller half enters the
 ,solent1 and owing1 it is supposed1 to 
the resistance of two shores 7by        
friction7 to its progress1 advances but 
slowly1 and does not arrive at          

,southampton ,water before the other has
 made ,dunnose and is filling ,sandown  
,bay with a back-stream4 ,this causes   
many differences in the amount of water 
at almost any given moment on the two   
sides of the ,isle of ,wight1 north and 
south2 and it gives rise to many curious
 varieties of tides1 real or apparent4  
,in one spot near ,shanklin1 my         
attention was frequently drawn to the   
fact of a partial tide suddenly flowing1
 for perhaps the space of an hour1      
during the time of ebb4  ,but this is   
not the only 8water-company0 here at    
work1 nor is the above the only class of
 phenomena resulting from such agency4  
,beside the tide-wave there is the      
,ocean-current1 which is quite a        
distinct thing4 ,this current is due to 
a branch of the ,gulf-stream2 and it    
flows here from west to east1 and from  
south to north4 ,that is to say1 after  
leaving ,newfoundland1 so much of it as 
actually reaches ,britain would run up  
,st4 ,george's channel northwards1 and  

up the ,english channel eastwards4 ,and 
although the velocity of this current is
 but trifling1 yet1 owing to its        
unceasing action in one direction1 its  
effects are remarkable4 ,moreover1 it is
 not affected by the waves2 whether the 
sea be sleeping in a calm or tossed with
 storms1 the motion of the current is   
the same4 ,the only change as yet       
observed is when its waters come to the 
surface and have their temperature      
lowered by a chill wind2 for1 this      
gulf-stream is itself a river of warm   
water1 though its bottom and banks are  
of the same element cold4  ,thus1       
between tide-waves and currents1 changes
 are going on continually both in the   
volume and the physical constitution of 
the sea-water4 ,and this1 which might at
 first on a hasty glance look like      
casual and unimportant variation1 when  
we come to consider it attentively1 is  
found to be an arrangement fraught with 
wisdom and beneficence2 for it insures  
continual variations of temperature1 it 

attracts the purifying storms1 restores 
the elastic spring of the atmosphere1   
and provides for weary man a healthy    
tonic breeze when he rambles along the  
beach or scales the face of the cliff4  
,without the motion imparted by the     
tides1 the sea would probably become    
putrid4 ,now the tides depend upon the  
,,moon2 yet how seldom do we think of   
her invaluable services1 when we gaze   
upon her pale face6 ,an ,italian once   
told me that he 8loved the moon1 adored 
the moon1 never tired of looking at the 
moon40 ,and the ,padishah1#d ,i have    
heard say1 prefers 8moon-faced0 ladies  
for his soft companions2 but ,i doubt   
whether either the pensive ,italian or  
the glittering lord of the ,bosphorus   
ever bestowed five minutes' thought on  
the mighty phenomenon of the ,,tides4   
,there are other changes in what may be 
termed the tidal 8high-water mark10 due 
to the lapse of ages1 which the sea has 
chronicled on the face of many a shore  
and cliff4 ,it is well known that the   

coast-line1 in this and other countries1
 has experienced many alterations as to 
its level4 ,in some places1 the ocean   
has apparently encroached upon the land2
 in many others1 it has receded4 ,one   
striking index of this latter1 and which
 may be implicitly trusted as proving   
the fact1 occurs where the waters have  
retired from their former level1 and    
have left exposed to view the remains of
 an ancient beach4 ,thus1 between       
,brighton and ,ovedean1 is found what   
goes by the name of the 8,elephant-bed10
 because such fossil bones lie among the
 pebbles in this part of the cliff4 ,the
 entire stratum undoubtedly was at one  
time a beach4 ,similar phenomena have   
been traced along the coast-lines of    
,arbroath and ,cromarty shires4         
,elsewhere1 the sea has gained upon the 
land2 undermining the friable sandstone 
cliffs1 and1 as it were1 melting down   
the headlands1 so as to change the      
outline of the coast4 ,but in these     
latter instances1 although 8terra firma0

 has given way1 it may be doubted       
whether the water itself has risen4     
,wherever it has indubitably done so1 to
 the extent e4g4 of submerging a        
village1 ,i should apprehend the        
presence of volcanic agency4  #d        
,sultan1 8,father of the ,faithful40    
,,chapter ,,ix4      ,,geology ,,lies   
,,at ,,the ,,bottom ,,of ,,earthly      
,,things4   ,there seems to be no strong
 reason for doubting that every         
elementary substance of which we have   
any knowledge was separated at the first
 from that crude mass called 8the       
earth10 and which1 along with 8the      
heaven10 ,god created in the beginning4 
,for1 after that first assertion1 we    
read of continued acts of 8separation0  
by an ,almighty fiat4 ,thus light is    
separated from darkness2 waters from    
waters2 water from earth4 ,and by a like
 analogy we may suppose that the        
8firmament0 or atmosphere1 the lower    
part of which we breathe1 was also      
eliminated in its component gases from  

the primitive shapeless bulk of matter4 
,if we take forty-five miles as the     
average height of this atmosphere above 
the surface of our globe1 it is         
proportionately1 like the thin rind upon
 an apple1 or the bloom upon a peach2   
and may very well have come forth       
without any violence done to nature1 or 
any waste of her resources1 from the    
womb of the earth4  ,,oxygen is a gas   
universally diffused1 for without a     
large supply of it human beings and all 
the mammals1 birds1 and reptiles1 would 
die4 ,but oxygen is not a more simple   
element than ,,carbon or ,,silicon2 and 
silicon is almost as universal1 for it  
enters largely into the composition of  
all known rocks1 excepting coal1        
limestone1 and rock-salt4  ,then1 beside
 silicon and carbon1 there is ,,boron1  
and many others1 all of which will      
combine permanently with the principal  
gases1 and which we may1 therefore1     
fairly suppose did so in the beginning4 
,the oxygen which we breathe enters into

 composition with almost all known      
substances4 ,it constitutes about       
one-fifth of the atmosphere1 perhaps    
eight-ninths of the water1 and helps    
chemically to compound all forms of     
earth and rock1 and all the metals save 
five4 ,now this proclaims at once a     
kindred element1 and does not look like 
a substance made independent of all the 
others at the first4 ,even potash and   
soda1 which were long called 8fixed     
alkalis10 having resisted all attempts  
to decompose them1 yielded at last to a 
galvanic process1 and were found to be  
compound2 oxygen1 in both cases1 having 
united itself intimately with a metallic
 base4  ,it is probable1 therefore1 that
 every substance which we can handle1 or
 of which we can recognize the presence 
by a chemical test1 was as truly a part 
of the chaotic ,earth as was the clay or
 the granite4 ,the gaseous atmosphere or
 8firmament0 was eliminated by an act of
 creation from the torpid mass1 the     
waters were drawn off and gathered      

together1 the rocks consolidated1 the   
metals precipitated1 most of the        
crystals were probably perfected by     
galvanic operations4 ,but there is      
nothing1 from the crystallized blocks of
 the mountains to the salt held in      
solution in the sea1 from the heavy     
rain-cloud which darkens the sky to the 
gossamer films of vapour which fringe   
the outermost edge of our atmosphere1   
which was not actually present as an    
existing particle when the ,earth1      
8,mother-,earth10 was made4 ,and the    
,,earth1 as we see1 could very well     
furnish all these concomitant and       
subsidiary elements1 without being      
impoverished at all4 ,indeed1 as far as 
experiments and investigations proper   
have gone1 we have as yet only touched  
the surface of our globe4 ,the deepest  
mine which men have ever sunk into the  
bowels of the earth bears in its depth  
the same proportion to the earth's      
radius1 as a line1 or one-eighth of an  
inch1 bears to the height of the        

monument at ,london ,bridge4 ,some of   
the exposed strata of rock1 allowing for
 the tilting-up of their edges1         
certainly reveal a deeper sample than   
this2 but still1 it is like the prick of
 a pin on the hide of a rhinoceros2 it  
does not even penetrate the creature's  
folded hide2 but of what lies within it 
tells us nothing4  ,mr4 ,baily's        
successful attempt at 8weighing the     
,earth10 which1 with consummate patience
 and skill1 he brought to a termination 
in his house in ,tavistock ,square1 has 
established the physical fact that this 
planet is not 8a hollow sphere10 as some
 persons had supposed1 but solid1       
probably to its very centre1 and of     
considerable specific gravity4 ,here is 
a mighty mass of ,matter2 it may be1 as 
,dr4 ,whewell has argued1 the greatest  
mass 7in solid contents7 in our ,solar  
system4 ,what do we know of its interior
 construction1 economy1 and arrangement8
 ,nothing1 except that all obey the laws
 established by the ,creator1 whether   

those of gravitation1 cohesive          
attraction1 or chemical combination4    
,the 8statistical report0 is wanting1   
especially in such departments as those 
of the ,trap and ,volcanic lavas4  ,the 
amount of ,,salt in the ocean is a      
circumstance which geologists have not1 
,i think1 sufficiently considered4 ,this
 salt1 if precipitated1 would1 it is    
believed1 yield a solid range of        
mountains equal to that of the entire   
,himalaya4 ,now1 mighty rivers run into 
the sea1 as those of ,la ,plata1        
,amazons1 ,mississippi1 ,st4 ,lawrence1 
,orinoko1 and many others2 but none of  
these rivers are salt2 they are enormous
 bodies of fresh water4 ,how1 then1 does
 the ocean maintain everywhere its      
saline character unimpaired8 not to ask1
 whence did so much salt come8 ,there   
is1 indeed1 a hill of salt in ,spain1   
and there are mines of rock-salt in     
,poland and ,hungary2 but the effort    
which was made1 so to speak1 when the   
proportion now existing in the ocean was

 squeezed out of the huge terrestrial   
sponge1 must far have exceeded that of  
any subsequent addition or contribution4
  ,the ocean itself1 as girding this    
globe1 is a prodigious mass of water1   
indeed4 ,but1 if we remember the size of
 the globe itself1 as given by its      
diameter1 ,ocean appears like a         
rain-pond4 ,for1 if we call its average 
depth five miles--and it cannot be more 
than this1 may be much less--such a     
watery envelope would be represented in 
its proportion to the solid sphere which
 it surrounds1 by a coating of varnish  
of the thickness of this paper lying on 
a globe which is twenty feet in         
diameter4  ,the ,,coal-,,measures are   
also a remarkable item in the list of   
substances met with in beds and ranges1 
and claiming to be considered as        
rocks--for the coal is a petrifaction1  
perhaps a partial crystallization--but  
due to the deposition of vegetable      
matter1 subjected afterwards to enormous
 hydrostatic pressure4 ,we have no true 

estimate of their amount as yet1 for    
fresh mines are being continually       
discovered2 but here seems to consist   
the chief proportion of ,,carbon1 as    
developed in this part of the visible   
creation4  ,,chalk constitutes          
one-eighth part of the crust of this    
globe4 ,the mass of this must have been 
thrown up at once1 when the atmosphere  
was eliminated1 and the waters          
separated1 and the sphere became        
condensed and solid4 ,it is a 8carbonate
 of lime0 in its chemical description1  
and there is abundance of the           
limestone-rock all over the world2 but  
it is very difficult to extract from    
this1 in any quantity1 the soft1        
friable1 slightly unctuous mineral which
 goes by the name of chalk 7,latin1     
8calx074  ,the ,,metals exist in the    
rocks1 generally some distance down in  
the earth's interior4 ,their amount1 in 
some instances1 is very great indeed4   
,the only one which is rarely met with  
on our globe1 and then in small grains1 

is the ,,native ,,iron1 i4e4 iron in its
 pure state4 ,this want1 however1 could 
not have been recognized if we had not  
happened to find the substance in       
question in those blocks of meteoric    
iron1 and in the small meteoric stones  
which have1 from time to time1 fallen to
 the surface of the earth during        
atmospheric storms1 and1 probably1 owing
 to astronomical disturbances4 ,for1 of 
the iron1 in its mixed conditions of    
different ores1 we have an abundant     
supply4 ,it is a singular fact1 that the
 native gold1 both in pure grains or    
flakes1 and in solid 8nuggets10 appears 
now to be the more prevalent form of    
that ponderous and imperishable         
substance4 ,the ranges of quartz-rock in
 many chains of mountains are certainly 
thickly sown with seeds and nodules of  
fine gold4  ,i may mention here1 as an  
interesting circumstance to             
mineralogists and collectors of fossil  
pebbles1 that the 8native iron10 which  
is so scarce on the surface of the      

ground1 is met with1 from time to time1 
along with manganese1 in the heart of   
siliceous pebbles4 ,but ,i have never   
seen it where there is not the presence 
of some animal organism4  ,now all these
 solids1 gold1 iron1 chalk1 coal1       
salt--and ,i select incongruous items on
 purpose--are as truly portions of the  
earth's mass as are the granite and     
slate1 the sandstones and clays4 ,and so
 are also the flowing waters and the    
suspended clouds2 and so are also the   
component elements of these--oxygen1    
hydrogen1 and the rest4 ,it is1 all of  
it1 ,,matter2 it all obeys the law of   
gravitation1 and it needs just as much  
to be taken into account1 in a          
geological scheme or system1 as the     
upheaving of granite rocks1 the flux of 
lavas1 or the icthyolite beds amidst the
 semi-crystalline ranges of the ,old    
,red ,sandstone formation4              
,consequently ,i have found1 as has     
partly ,i trust been shown in the       
preceding pages1 that even to handle and

 pronounce upon a pebble1 such an one as
 we can pick up on the sea-shore any    
summer's day1 all these elements must be
 taken into the account4  ,in a         
8moss-agate10 for instance1 ,i          
discover--  ,first4 ,a sandy cuticle1   
which we will rub off1 as it is like the
 dust on your drawing-room table1 a real
 thing1 but out of place4  ,secondly4   
,siliceous matter4  ,thirdly4 ,a purer  
form of this in chalcedony4  ,fourthly4 
,the 8moss10 which is a metal proper1   
tinged by oxidation4 ,n4,b4 ,here is    
oxygen inside a pebble6  ,fifthly4 ,the 
whole or a part of some extinct animal's
 petrified structure4  ,sixthly4 ,one   
thing more1 sometimes a drop of water4  
,seventhly and lastly4 ,air1 permeating 
the stone in fine pores and channels1   
one of the largest of which was in some 
cases a breathing-hole used by the      
zoophyte before he drew his last gasp4  
,who shall therefore say that a ,,pebble
 from the sea-shore has nothing         
remarkable in it or about it1 merely    

because the passing schoolboy can pick  
it up if he pleases1 and1 without       
looking at it for a moment1 can fling it
 at the head of a gull1 or dash it to   
atoms against a larger stone8 ,it is a  
microcosm in itself2 and if it lead us  
on to further inquiry and patient       
thought1 it will amply repay our        
trouble1 though we have loitered away a 
summer morn or an autumn evening among  
the ,pebbles of the ,beach4             
,,chapter ,x4      ,,guesses ,,at ,,the 
,,probable ,,features ,,of ,a ,,past    
,,scene4--,,what ,,was ,,the            
,,earth',s ,,commencing                 
,,rotation4--,,law ,,of ,,the ,,tides   
,,at ,,such ,a ,,time1     ,,and        
,,corresponding ,,action ,,of ,,the     
,,sea ,,upon ,,the ,,land4--,,original  
,,character ,,of ,,these ,,fossil       
,,forms4   ,whatever may be thought of  
the apparent scope or tendency of some  
of the geological theories which are    
rife in the present day1 no person who  
has really considered the subject in its

 principal bearings has any doubt that  
the surface of our globe1 both as to the
 land and the water1 was once very      
different from what it is now4 ,all     
sound argument must allow this to be    
possible3 all careful investigation     
pronounces it to be the fact4  ,there   
are potent 8menstrua0 and mighty        
furnaces in the laboratory of ,nature2  
and while the actual amount of ,,matter 
in existence has1 we suppose1 never     
varied since the original creative act  
which gave birth to 8the heaven and the 
earth10 the conditions1 sensible or     
chemical1 under which that matter       
presents itself have altered from       
century to century and from moment to   
moment4  ,it is impossible to deem      
otherwise1 if we believe that the 8laws0
 which are established now in this      
creation were established then4  ,let us
 take1 for instance1 the law of         
,universal ,gravitation1 that law by    
which the heavenly bodies move in their 
orbits1 and a seconds' pendulum measures

 time at the surface of our ,earth4  ,we
 feel assured that this law has never   
varied2 but it is almost equally certain
 that it must have begun to operate     
under different conditions from those   
which obtain at this day4  ,newton1 who 
always maintained that the commencing   
axillary movement of the ,earth was due 
to an impulse from the hand of the      
,creator when ,he launched it into      
space1#e and who declared that without  
this he could in no way account for its 
having rotatory motion at all1 was      
nevertheless willing to allow that the  
time occupied in the first rotation may 
not have been1 as now1 twenty-four      
hours1 but possibly an entire year4 ,and
 as the ,earth1 once projected1 would   
fulfil1 according to the ,law of        
,gravity1 the conditions of 8a body     
falling through space10 we find that    
taking the nth term 7#bn-#a7 of the     
arithmetical series ''' #a4 #c4 #e4 #g4 
''' 7#bn-#a7 ''' where the successive   
terms represent the velocities acquired 

in successive annual periods1 about #ahc
 such terms must elapse before #cfe     
rotations would be accomplished within  
the space of one year1 or1 in other     
words1 the rotation of the earth be     
diurnal1 as at present4 ,this point of  
speed once reached1 the centrifugal and 
centripetal forces balanced one another1
 and the axillary movement became       
steady4  ,of course1 in the above       
hypothesis1 the assuming of one year for
 the first period is arbitrary2 it may  
have been more1 it may have been less2  
but within certain limits there is no   
absolute reason for supposing that it   
was a span of twenty-four hours1 as now4
 ,revelation nowhere asserts such a     
dogma4  ,supposing1 then1 amid confessed
 ignorance as to how the fact stood1    
that the ,earth's early times of        
rotation were far longer than now1 and  
taking1 say1 one year as the first      
period1 how would this influence other  
features in a scene which has now long  
gone by8 ,how would it influence the    

,tides of the ,ocean8  ,assuming a      
correspondingly slow motion of the ,moon
 in her orbit1 we should1 it seems1 have
 in the lapse of the first year one     
rotation of the ,earth and two ,tides of
 the ,ocean2 in the second year1 three  
rotations of the ,earth and six ,tides  
answering to them2 and so on4  ,now     
these flowing ,tides would1 in fact1    
have been vast inundations1 the sea     
rising steadily for many months         
together2 and in like manner the        
prolonged ebb which followed upon each  
flood would have given rise to a        
subsidence and to the deposition of such
 particles of mud1 lime1 silex1 c41 as  
the waters then held in solution after  
their visiting the higher land4  ,and   
thus we see at once1 without going      
further1 that the agency exerted by the 
ocean in ancient times may probably have
 been different from and greater than   
any with which we are now actually      
acquainted1 save in the account given to
 us1 in the inspired ,record1 of the    

,deluge in the days of ,noah4  ,when    
such mighty agencies were in operation1 
it is not unreasonable to suppose that  
great changes took place in the way of  
partial extinction of animal life1 and  
the substitution of new forms to fill up
 the apparent gap left by the perishing 
creatures4 ,the contents of the upper   
chalk1 of the greensand1 gault1 and     
sandstones1 as has already been         
observed1 point to such revolutions and 
cycles in the history of animated       
nature4  ,,man1 who is himself an       
evident exception to all this1 may      
perhaps1 as an exception1 be said to    
prove that such had been the rule4 ,for1
 it must be remembered1 all the         
creatures were pre-,adamitic4 ,not only 
those vast saurians and mammals1 whose  
fossil remains we have exhumed1 and     
cannot contemplate without wonder1 were 
prior to our race in their actual       
possession of the domain of the earth's 
surface1 but every bird1 reptile1 fish1 
and zoophyte were certainly made before 

the man4 ,now1 as the man came last in  
order1 but first in dignity1 created in 
his ,maker's image1 and endowed with    
dominion over all the works of ,his     
hand1 there was no longer place or      
argument for extinction1 substitution1  
or change1 among the creatures4 ,death  
was excluded1 and could not enter into  
the world1 unless by a moral delinquency
 of the chiefest creature4  ,but already
 it is probable1 although he perhaps    
knew it not1 ,man stood1 even in the day
 of his innocence and happiness1 in the 
midst indeed of a blooming creation1 but
 upon the crust of a fossil world4      
,moreover1 we know from ,scripture that 
minerals find metals abounded2 so that  
the presence of these near the ,earth's 
surface ought not to be referred 7as by 
some they have been7 to the epoch of    
,noah's ,deluge4 8,gold and bdellium and
 the onyx-stone0 were already in the    
8land of ,havilah20 and ,tubal-,cain was
 8an artificer in brass and iron10 which
 must therefore have been exposed in    

veins of the upper rocks4  ,and if the  
,earth already showed her nuggets of    
gold and lumps of onyx1 it is not likely
 that she was deficient in beautiful    
fossils4 ,certainly1 such substances as 
manganese and native iron did not find  
their way into the heart of siliceous   
pebbles in modern times4         99     
99       99       99       99  ,but it  
by no means follows from the above1 that
 all these fossil forms belonged to     
creatures whose species are wholly      
extinct4 ,indeed1 in some instances1    
this cannot be allowed for a moment4    
,probably1 the 8choanite0 is extinct4 ,i
 doubt whether the 8ventriculite0 be so4
 ,dr4 ,mantell was pleased to assume    
that this last-mentioned zoophyte       
grew--like one of the 8mushroom0 class  
of plants--rooted to one spot4 ,there is
 no evidence for this whatever1 and my  
impression leans another way4 ,in the   
class of marine 8,acrita0 termed        
,acaleph1 there is a family which bears 
the name of ,rhizostoma4 ,these animals 

are composed mainly of a large1         
mushroom-shaped1 gelatinous disc1 and of
 a supporting central pedicle4 ,in      
structure and function this latter organ
 much resembles the root of a plant2    
and1 no doubt1 it absorbs nourishment by
 seizing upon the minute animalcul which
 abound in the water where the          
8rhizostome0 is floating about4 ,the    
entire animal is very like a toadstool1 
or 8agaricus10 in form2 but for all     
that1 he does not grow1 as a plant1 in  
one spot1 but is always sailing about by
 means of his large disc                
above-mentioned4 ,his general appearance
 closely resembles that of a            
8ventriculite0 from the flint2 and ,i   
think it a probable guess to assign them
 to the same species4  ,the 8branching  
alcyonite10 on the other hand1 did1 ,i  
imagine1 grow1 like a ,coral or         
8,encrinite10 in one place2 and ,i      
suppose it was much like an ice-plant in
 form1 but that it had the power of     
drawing back at will all its branches   

and suckers--which were1 in fact1 the   
creature's arms and tentacles--into the 
root or bulb which formed its base4 ,the
 8sponges10 a large family1 we know are 
not extinct2 and the conformation of the
 living individuals fully bears out all 
the marvels which have been predicated  
of the fossil animal4 ,i have handled   
these creatures1 fresh from the sea1 at 
,brighton2 and ,i had an unpleasant     
consciousness1 while holding one in my  
hand1 that the round1 greenish1         
jelly-like bush was only his house2 but 
that the gummy fluid1 which held        
possession of it after squirting out the
 sea-water1 was the individual himself1 
though independent of the accessories of
 bone and muscle4 ,this kind of 8sponge0
 floats about3 there is another1        
well-known among submerged rocks1 which 
is fixed1 and grows4 ,i believe the     
fossil specimens to have belonged to the
 migratory class4  ,i once picked up1   
near ,hove1 a pebble which contained a  
fragment of the lungs of a tortoise2 the

 elevated ridges1 and depressed         
pulmonary cells1 appeared to have left  
their peculiar structure in the flint4  
,i have mislaid this specimen1 and so   
cannot give a sketch of it here4  ,the  
8holothurida10 or 8sea-cucumber10 is    
found occasionally in the ,isle of      
,wight1 beautifully fossilized4 ,a      
specimen was shown to me1 from the beach
 near ,chale2 it was a variety1 but     
unquestionably of this class of animals4
  ,a fossil1 figured in one of the      
8chromo-plates0 to this volume1 has     
obtained the name of a 8troglodyte20 ,i 
do not know why4 ,i suspect it was one  
of the 8asterid0 when alive1 but that in
 the death-struggle1 the long arms      
collapsed and twisted together4  ,i have
 frequently found what ,i believe to    
have been some such organ as the stomach
 of a star-fish in the centre of hard   
pebbles4 ,the form was always           
pentagonal1 like the corolla of certain 
flowers pressed flat4  ,the 8myriapod10 
depicted in ,plate ,v41 ,i should at    

once conclude to have been a marine     
insect1 answering to some of our        
8scolopendrid10 if the head were not    
lacking4 ,but since the back or spine in
 this fossil is all in one piece1 and   
there are no lateral plates or divisions
 for the several pairs of feelers1 it   
may be1 in accordance with such a frame1
 that the head fitted on without the    
apparent juncture of a neck2 and if so1 
this may be an entire insect4 ,it is    
right however to add1 that ,i feel some 
doubts about this4  ,the ,plate ,,vi4   
contains a figure of a fossil to which  
,i have attached the name of            
8,spindle-choanite40 ,in fact1 the      
specimen1 until cut in twain1 was       
fusiform2 and1 ,i have no doubt1 a      
complete animal4  ,the choanite from    
,eastbourne1 uncut1 ,pl4 ,,iv41 portrays
 a creature who1 ,i think1 expired in a 
vehement struggle4 ,this would keep him 
on the surface of the siliceous flood2  
and it would harden1 for the most part1 
beneath him1 leaving his limbs sprawled 

out on the top of the pebble1 as now    
seen4 ,the beautiful 8pyriform0         
specimen1 ,pl4 ,,vi41 shows a similar   
struggle1 amidst liquid agate and       
manganese4 ,in the large ,actinia1 or   
8star-choanite10 portrayed in the       
frontispiece1 the happy animal died     
quite quietly2 and that is why his      
fossil mummy is of such a noble size and
 development4  ,the figure called       
8,nondescript10 ,pl4 ,,iv41 ,i do not   
think represents any complete animal1   
but a part of the organization of one4  
,i have traced its likeness1 in the     
8,animal ,kingdom10 by ,t4 ,rymer       
,jones2 and think it not improvable that
 a woodcut at p4 #cfd of that most      
interesting volume depicts1 in the arms 
of one of the 8,brachiopoda10 in that   
8calcareous loop0 with its curved       
8crura10 the exact structure which1 in  
the living animal1 served to open or    
shut the bivalve shell1 but in the      
fossil specimen looks like a            
miniature-painting on ivory1 to         

perpetuate some curious organism in the 
liveliest colours of the pallet4        
8,terebratula ,chilensis0 is ,mr4 ,rymer
 ,jones's animal2 and in the very       
vicinity where ,i found my fossil in    
question1 ,i have since obtained1 in a  
flint pebble from the cliff1 a          
beautifully petrified 8,pecten0 7same   
species of shell7 in agate4         99  
99       99       99       99  ,i might 
multiply remarks and instances such as  
these2 but it is not needed4 ,every one 
will form their own opinion1 in         
collecting fossil pebbles1 as to what   
the originals were2 but ,i think they   
will generally agree with me1 that while
 our living individuals differ in many  
points1 still we have mostly types of   
the same species actually existing in   
our present seas4  ,what all            
connoisseurs1 and even amateurs1 should 
do1 is to preserve every remarkable     
specimen they may obtain1 along with an 
accurate note of where they got it4 ,it 
is a great pity that1 among so many     

persons who have at once discernment and
 a liking for this branch of            
,mineralogy1 there are so few who will  
be at the trouble of what lawyers call  
8taking minutes0 of the evidence which  
comes before them in the course of the  
pursuit4 ,i have looked over several    
fair enough collections made by         
amateurs2 but1 with one exception1 ,i   
never knew an instance in which the     
collector could tell me1 with any degree
 of certainty1 from what particular     
beach he had gathered this or that      
specimen4 ,of course1 when a scientific 
investigation is proposed1 such omission
 renders the most valuable part of the  
collection comparatively useless4 ,for  
the locality is all-important4 ,a pebble
 may thus be always traced to its       
geological 8home0 or birthplace4 ,it can
 only have had one of three sources3    
either it was first dropped here1 where 
you find it2 or1 it is a 8travelled0    
pebble1 having come round from some     
distant beach2 or1 it is an offering    

from the deep sea4 ,the latter case is  
of exceedingly rare occurrence1 and need
 hardly be taken into account2          
nevertheless1 for truth's sake1 and to  
include all possible varieties1 ,i cite 
it here4  ,a genuine deep-sea pebble is 
a waif which ,i have only twice1 as yet1
 met with in my sea-side experience4    
,one of these was1 ,i think1 fished up  
in a dredging-net2 the other was thrown 
on the beach during a storm4 ,in both   
instances1 the fossil was a 8choanite10 
and bore the marks of having been washed
 out of a limestone rock4 ,the age of   
such fossil could not have been less    
than #djjj years1 the date of ,noah's   
deluge1 for obvious reasons2 but it may 
have been considerably greater4  ,if    
there were any known method of softening
 these pebbles to a consistency like    
that of melted glue1 we might learn     
something concerning their past history2
 but ,i am not aware of the existence of
 any such process at present4 ,silex1   
once hardened into the condition in     

which we meet with it1 is a most        
intractable substance to deal with2 and 
the very fact of its having at one time 
been viscous1 renders it highly         
improbable that1 in the course of       
nature1 its texture will ever assume a  
plastic character again4 ,moreover1     
while the majority of our flints are    
concretions1 there are some which are   
semi-crystalline4 ,these latter1 it is  
evident1 cannot now advance to the stage
 of perfect crystals2 but neither can   
they retrograde3 the next change which  
awaits so hard a substance must be1 to  
crumble away4  ,sometimes1 on our       
beaches1 hollow globes of flint are     
picked up1 which1 when you break them   
open1 are found to be full of a white1  
powdery substance1 like the chemist's   
magnesia4 ,this is much the same as the 
8rock-milk0 of mineralogists1 a very    
fine deposition of lime1 occasionally   
met with in beds of the chalk strata1   
and considered to be a result of some   
filtering process1 when the water1 after

 being long pent up1 had escaped by     
small crevices4 ,but in the flint-globes
 no such straining can have taken place2
 and in sundry specimens which ,i have  
examined1 ,i generally came to the      
conclusion that some conchiferous animal
 had been inclosed in the nodule1 and   
his shell had afterwards broken and been
 pulverized4 ,sometimes ,i found within 
the 8rock-milk0 a dark-brown1           
carbonaceous spot2 this would be the    
creature's body1 as ,dr4 ,mantell       
supposes of his 8molluskite40 ,the      
cavity is never quite filled up4 ,i     
imagine many of these 8powder-horns0 to 
be altogether modern in their date4  ,a 
much more curious phenomenon than the   
above occurs from time to time in solid 
agate-pebbles1 which1 when picked up1   
are found to contain in a central       
chamber1 visible to the eye1 a drop of  
water4 ,these are scarce1 and fetch a   
high price at the museums4 ,as much as  
twenty pounds has been more than once   
given for an undoubted specimen4 ,how   

the above-mentioned singular effect was 
arrived at1 has1 ,i believe1 never been 
explained2 at least1 not so as to       
satisfy a close reasoner4 ,the same     
lusus natur is met with1 ,i think more  
frequently1 in rock-crystal and in the  
dark fluor-spars4  ,the last apparent   
animal organism which ,i shall notice1  
as having more than once occurred to me 
as a possible explanation of the        
patterns disclosed in certain sections  
of agate-pebbles1 is that of some       
creature's 8ovary40 ,the eggs of the    
whelk1 and those of the cuttle-fish1 are
 deposited in clusters1 like some of the
 8grapes0 on sea-weed4 ,i have found1 in
 some of the ,isle of ,wight pebbles1 a 
conformation closely resembling this1   
but on a much smaller scale4 ,that the  
original substance was part of an       
animal1 ,i have no doubt whatever2 and  
the arrangement of the lobes or         
spherules1 composing the mass1 more     
resembles that of the spawn of the      
above-named fishes than anything else   

which ,i am acquainted with4 ,still1    
resemblance is not identity4 ,the thing 
may be only a curious coincidence1      
resulting from some unexplained freak of
 nature2 as when she carved the profile 
of ,napoleon's face in the outline of a 
part of ,mont ,blanc1 and also 7quite as
 distinctly7 in that of a hill which    
overlooks the town of ,belfast4  #e ,see
 his ,letter to ,dr4 ,burnet4           
,,references ,,to ,,the                 
,,chromo-,,plates4   ,in the            
frontispiece is represented the polished
 section of a pebble which the author   
picked up on the beach at ,bonchurch1 in
 the ,isle of ,wight4 ,this is an       
unusually large and perfect specimen1   
the body of the ,choanite lying nearly  
central4 ,the pebble contains one or two
 blotches of native iron4 ,the 8cuticle0
 is uninjured4   ,,plate ,i4  ,fig4 #a4 
,this is a slice from a lump of         
8conglomerate0 found on the beach at    
,sidmouth4 ,the white parts are sections
 of the nodules of quartz1 the red and  

yellow are jasper4  ,fig4 #b4 ,a section
 of an 8,alcyonite0 from the bay of     
,sandown4 ,it formed part of a large    
pebble4   ,,plate ,,ii4  ,fig4 #a4 ,this
 is1 ,i have no doubt1 a fossil         
8,actinia40 ,i have often looked on the 
exact living resemblance of it at the   
fish-house in the 8,zoological          
,gardens10 where it is fond of clinging 
like a limpet against the vertical pane 
of glass in an aquarium4--7,found in    
,sandown ,bay47  ,fig4 #b4 ,i suppose   
this half of a pebble to represent the  
internal structure of some creature     
which dwelt in a bivalve                
shell4--7,sandown ,bay47   ,,plate      
,,iii4  ,fig4 #a4 ,this sponge1 a       
faultless specimen of the kind1 is from 
the ,brighton beach4 ,it was the first  
pebble ,i ever picked up there4  ,fig4  
#b4 ,the body and arms of this ,choanite
 are in white ,agate2 the remainder of  
the stone is a dark moss1 formed chiefly
 of ,manganese1 and surrounded by a     
yellow flinty rim4--7,brighton ,beach47 

,,plate ,,iv4  ,fig4 #a4 ,a             
,nondescript3 but1 probably1 the        
creature was of the vermicular          
kind4--7,brighton ,beach47  ,fig4 #b4 ,a
 handsome ,choanite1 uncut1 but polished
 over1 so as to show the points of some 
of the feelers4--7,found at             
,eastbourne47   ,,plate ,v4  ,fig4 #a4  
,an 8,eyed0 ,jasper1 from the beach near
 ,shoreham4 ,it contains yellow 8oxide  
of iron10 and some dark green flint4    
,fig4 #b4 ,a 8,myriapod40 ,this fossil  
is a very handsome one1 and ,i have     
another1 closely resembling it1 from the
 same locality1 in ,sandown ,bay4 ,the  
dark1 reddish spot1 is of the nature of 
,molluskite4   ,,plate ,,vi4  ,fig4 #a4 
,a ,spindle1 or ,fusiform ,choanite1    
when the pebble was entire4 ,i do not   
possess a more perfect specimen3 the    
,chalcedony is remarkably fine1 and the 
8oxide0 of a rich tint4--7,sandown      
,bay47  ,fig4 #b4 ,pyriform ,choanite1  
uncut4 ,here1 again1 the creature lies  
over the surface2 and1 as ,i conceive1  

from the position which it occupies1 was
 swimming for its life4--7,found at     
,rottingdean47   ,,plate ,,vii4  ,fig4  
#a4 ,an 8,asterid40 ,this is different  
from all the other creatures in these   
fossils4 ,its position in the heart of a
 solid limestone pebble is              
singular4--7,beach at ,hove47  ,fig4    
#b4--8,terebratula40 ,the entire pebble 
was formed inside of a 8,pecten0-shell1 
and inside the pebble lies this         
formation1 which was a living organism  
connected with the hinge4--7,beach near 
,luccombe47   ,,explanation ,,of        
,,certain ,,terms used in this ,volume4 
8,hard30 that which will cut or scratch 
other substances4          ,example4--,a
 diamond will cut glass4      8,tough30 
tenacious2 whose particles are difficult
 to separate     from one another4      
,example4--,jasper1 though not nearly so
 hard1 is more         8tenacious0 than 
diamond4      8,transparent30 through   
which we can see objects4               
8,translucent30 through which we see    

light4      8,opaque30 through which we 
can see nothing4      8,brilliant30     
reflecting or refracting the light in   
rays and     flashes4      8,vitreous30 
glassy in its texture4                  
8,conchoidal30 convex1 like the outside 
of a shell4      8,momentum30 the result
 of the combined weight and velocity of 
a     body in motion4   ,,geological    
,,strata referred to in this ,volume1   
arranged in their descending order4     
,names of ,strata4    ,mineral products4
      ,lava                             
,pumice-stone1 which is its froth or    
scum4      ,granite                     
,corundum1 sapphires1 felspar4      ,old
 ,red ,sandstone     ,fossil            
ichthyolites4      ,carboniferous       
,series  ,coal1 lignites1 jet4      ,new
 ,red ,sandstone     ,jaspers1          
fossilized wood4      ,lias of the      
,oolite    ,fossil 8,saurians40         
,wealden               ,fossil reptiles 
and mammals4      ,gault                
,crystals1 flint-nodules1 choanites1    

,greensand              echini1         
cray-fish1 lignites4     ,chalk         
,tertiary ,sands       ,amber1          
carnelians1 fossil shells4     ,clays   
,,glossary of ,,gases1 ,,minerals1      
,,gems1 ,,crystals1 and ,,fossils1 named
 in this ,volume4   ,simple ,substances4
      ,oxygen3 a gas4      ,silicon     
,boron         ,elements allied to the  
gases4     ,carbon             ,alumina 
,magnesia      ,soluble in acids4       
,sulphur            ,manganese          
,iron          ,metals4     ,gold       
8,steel0 is ,iron which has been        
8carbonized40   ,derived or ,compounded4
      ,diamond           ,sapphire      
,ruby              ,emerald             
,topaz             ,amethyst            
,aquamarine    ,these are termed 8gems0 
or 8precious stones40     ,garnet       
,pearl             ,turquoise           
,jargoon           ,onyx                
,sardonyx           ,quartz             
,rock-crystal      ,tourmaline    ,these
 are crystallizations4     ,spar        

,asbestos           ,jasper             
,chalcedony        ,agate               
,carnelian     ,these are concretions4  
,flint             ,bloodstone          
,moss-agate        ,weed-agate          
,mocha-stone        ,jet                
,amber             ,clay          ,these
 are exudations1 depositions1 or        
fossils4     ,chalk             ,coal   
,rock-salt3 a chloride of sodium4       
,kaolin3 this is from 8felspar40        
,echinus            ,ammonite           
,these are fossil     ,alcyonite        
animals1 for     ,troglodyte       the  
most part     ,choanite                 
belonging to     ,ventriculite          
extinct species     ,icthyolite       of
 8zoophytes40     ,cray-fish            
,sharks' teeth       ,sand of the       
,desert3 this is powdered quartz4       
,sand of the ,sea-shore3 sandstone dust1
 mixed and penetrated with salt4        
,sea-weed3 a compound of vegetable      
carbon1 salt1 and siliceous             
particles4   ,,mineralogical ,,and      

,,chemical ,,key to the ,,glossary4     
,,oxygen4 ,this is a pure gas1 and the  
most universally diffused     substance 
in nature4      ,,silicon      ,,carbon 
,these elements will combine permanently
 with the     ,,boron    principal      
gases4      ,,alumina   ,these elements1
 when dissolved in certain acids1       
,,magnesia  yield a colourless solution4
     ,,sulphur        ,,manganese       
,these elements1 dissolved in acids1    
yield a coloured     ,,iron             
solution4     ,,gold                    
,,delessite is a chloride of iron4      
,,silica comprises only #b species3--#a4
 ,quartz2 #b4 ,opal4      ,from ,quartz1
 come      ,rock-crystal                
,cairn-gorums  which are 8vitreous10    
,sand               and      ,chalcedony
        ,agate             ,onyx        
,carnelian     which are 8concretions40 
,sard              ,bloodstone          
,jasper            ,flints              
,opal is a 8hydrate0 of ,,silica1       
containing #g per cent4 of water4       

,precious1 or 8noble40     ,iridescent4 
,common 7colourless74      8,silicates40
      ,of ,alumina            ,feldspar4
                           ,kaolin4     
,emerald4     ,of do4 with ,glucina     
,beryl                           ,garnet
                           ,pyrope1 or  
8precious garnet40                      
,chrysolite4     ,of ,magnesia          
,meerschaum4                            
,asbest4      ,of do4 with ,fluorine    
,topaz4                                 
,tourmaline4      ,of do4 with ,zircon  
,jargoon1 or 8,hyacinth40      ,the     
colour of 8emerald0 is     due to the   
oxide of chrome2     that of 8beryl0 to 
the oxide     of iron4      ,,carbon    
comprises only #b species3--#a4         
,diamond2 #b4 ,graphite4      8,diamond0
 is a perfect crystallization1     and  
is the hardest     substance known4     
8,graphite0 7sometimes called           
8,black-lead07 is a carbonate     of    
iron4 ,the iron1 however1     enters in 
very small quantities1     and is now   

supposed to     be accidental4          
8,graphite0     is a concretion1 and is 
never     met with in the form of       
crystals4      8,carburets40      ,of   
,hydrogen       ,bitumen4               
,coal4      ,bituminized wood is        
,lignite1 which1 when very compact1 is  
,jet4      8,amber0 is a vegetable      
resin4 ,it is obtained from rivers in   
,sicily1 and     from mines in ,russia4 
8,carbonates0 of ,lime  ,limestone4     
,calc-spar4                             
,chalk4      ,the 8marbles0 of ,paros   
and ,carrara are crystalline ,limestone3
     those of ,siena are compact        
,limestone4      ,,alumina comprises #b 
species3--#a4 ,corundum2 #b4 ,sapphire4 
#a4 8,corundum0 is a very hard crystal1 
the common type of all the              
,sapphires4      #b4 ,oriental          
8,sapphires40 ,these embrace #f kinds4  
,the blue ,sapphire4      0  red or     
8,ruby40      0  green or ,emerald4     
0  purple or ,amethyst4      0  golden  
or ,topaz4      0  sea-green or         

,aquamarine4      ,these are pure       
,alumina4      8,emery0 is a coarse     
variety of ,corundum4                   
8,aluminates40      ,of ,magnesia       
,spinel ruby4                  ,balas   
do4      ,a ,phosphate of ,alumina and  
,magnesia  ,turquoise4      ,the        
8,spinel0 ruby is scarlet2 the 8,balas10
 of a faint pink4 ,the     8,oriental0  
ruby alone has the 8pigeon's blood0 hue4
   ,localities of sundry 8,fossils40    
7,name of ,fossil47        7,proper     
locality47              ,galerites      
,albogalerus   ,found in the ,upper     
,chalk1 and1     ,echini  ,ananchytes   
,ovatus         occasionally1 in the    
,greensand4             ,cor ,anguinum  
,ammonite                          ,the 
,lias4      ,alcyonite                  
,troglodyte                       ,the  
,chalk4     ,choanite                   
,ventriculite                           
,ichthyolite                       ,the 
,old ,red ,sandstone4      ,cray-fish   
,the ,gault4      ,shark's teeth        

,the ,tertiary ,strata4   ,illustration3
 ,plate ,i4  ,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4        
,illustration3 ,plate ,,ii4  ,fig4 #a4  
,fig4 #b4  ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iii4 
,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4  ,illustration3     
,plate ,,iv4  ,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4       
,illustration3 ,plate ,v4  ,fig4 #a4    
,fig4 #b4  ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vi4  
,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4  ,illustration3     
,plate ,,vii4  ,fig4 #a4 ,fig4 #b4      
,,general ,,index4  7,alphabetically    
arranged47       ,acaleph1 #afg         
,actinia 7passim74      ,agate 7passim74
      ,alcyonite 7passim74              
,alumina1 #f      ,amber1 #ae           
,amethyst1 #h      ,ammonite1 #ai       
,aquamarine1 #cc      ,asbestos1 #aba   
,balas 7ruby71 #ahd      ,beryl1 #h     
,bitumen1 #ahd      ,bloodstone1 #dc    
,boron1 #ahc      ,bort1 #bd            
,cairngorum1 #cf      ,calc-spar1 #ahd  
,carbon1 #aab      ,chalcedony 7passim74
      ,chalk 7passim74      ,choanite   
7passim74      ,chrysolite1 #h          
,clay1 #i      ,coal1 #aj               

,coal-tar1 #bd      ,cockle1 #c         
,corundum1 #bd      ,cray-fish1 #ba     
,crystal1 #cc       ,delessite1 #hg1    
#ahc      ,diamond1 #aab       ,echinus1
 #ai      ,emerald1 #h      ,emery1 #bd 
,felspar1 #i      ,flint 7passim74      
,fluorine1 #ahc      ,fossils 7passim74 
,garnet1 #ahc      ,gault1 #ai          
,gems 7passim74      ,glucina1 #ahc     
,gold1 #aeg      ,granite1 #e           
,graphite1 #ahd      ,greensand         
7passim74       ,hyacinth1 #h           
,ice1 #aaj      ,icthyolite1 #abg       
,iron1 #aa       ,jargoon1 #h           
,jasper 7passim74      ,jet1 #ae        
,kaolin1 #h       ,lava1 #aha           
,lias1 #aha      ,lignite1 #ahd         
,limestone 7passim74       ,magnesia1   
#ahc      ,manganese1 #ahc              
,meerschaum1 #ahc      ,mocha-stone1 #ch
      ,molluskite1 #ie      ,moss-agate 
7passim74       ,onyx1 #h      ,oolite1 
#aha      ,opal1 #h      ,oxygen        
7passim74       ,pearl1 #h      ,pebble 
7passim74      ,pecten ,jacoba1 #aga    

,pholas ,dactylus1 #ie      ,pumice1    
#aha      ,pyrope1 #ahc       ,quartz   
7passim74       ,razor-shell1 #c        
,rhizostoma1 #afg      ,rock-crystal    
7passim74      ,rock-milk1 #agd         
,rock-salt1 #aee      ,rotten-stone1 #bf
      ,ruby1 #h       ,salt1 #aee       
,sand 7passim74      ,sapphire1 #h      
,sardonyx1 #h      ,saurians1 #ad       
,seaweed 7passim74      ,sharks' tooth1 
#ba      ,silicon1 #aeb      ,spar      
7passim74      ,spinel 7ruby71 #ahd     
,steel1 #abi      ,sulphur1 #ahc        
,terebratula1 #aga      ,tertiary       
7strata71 #aha      ,topaz1 #h          
,tourmaline1 #abd      ,troglodyte1 #afi
      ,turquoise1 #h                    
,ventriculite1 #afg       ,wealden1 #i  
,weed-agate1 #hg      ,whelk1 #age      
,zircon1 #ahc      ,zoophyte 7passim74  
,woodfall and ,kinder1 ,printers1 ,angel
 ,court1 ,skinner ,street1 ,london4     
,,popular ,,natural ,,history4          
,messrs4 ,routledge1 ,warne1 and        
,routledge  ,have much pleasure in      

announcing that they have purchased from
 ,mr4 ,,lovell ,,reeve his series of    
works on  ,,popular ,,natural ,,history1
  ,and in order to make them more       
generally known1 they have published    
them1 bound in cloth1 at per volume1    
,,seven ,,shillings ,,and ,,sixpence1   
,,coloured4   ,,contents ,,of ,,the     
,,series4      #a4 ,,british ,,birds'   
,,eggs4 ,by ,r4 ,,laishley4 ,twenty     
,plates4      #b4 ,,history ,,of        
,,british ,,crustacea4 ,by ,,adam       
,,white1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty     ,plates4 
#c4 ,,popular ,,greenhouse ,,botany4 ,by
 ,,agnes ,,catlow4 ,twenty ,plates4     
#d4 ,,popular ,,field ,,botany4 ,by     
,,agnes ,,catlow4 ,twenty ,plates4      
#e4 ,,popular ,,geography ,,of ,,plants4
 ,edited by ,dr4 ,,daubeny4 ,twenty     
,plates4      #f4 ,,history ,,of        
,,british ,,mosses4 ,by ,r4 ,m4 ,,stark4
 ,twenty ,plates4      #g4 ,,history    
,,of ,,palms4 ,by ,dr4 ,b4 ,,seemann1   
,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty ,plates4      #h4     
,,history ,,of ,,british ,,seaweeds4 ,by

 ,dr4 ,,landsborough4 ,twenty           
,plates4      #i4 ,,popular ,,british   
,,conchology4 ,by ,g4 ,b4 ,,sowerby1    
,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty     plates4      #aj4 
,,popular ,,british ,,ornithology4 ,by  
,p4 ,h4 ,,gosse4 ,twenty ,plates4       
#aa4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,mammalia4   
,by ,,adam ,,white1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,sixteen  
,plates4      #ab4 ,,popular            
,,mineralogy4 ,by ,,henry ,,sowerby4    
,twenty ,plates4      #ac4 ,,history    
,,of ,,the ,,aquarium4 ,by ,g4 ,b4      
,,sowerby1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty            
,plates4      #ad4 ,,history ,,of       
,,mollusca4 ,by ,,mary ,,roberts4       
,eighteen ,plates4      #ae4 ,,popular  
,,garden ,,botany4 ,by ,,agnes ,,catlow4
 ,twenty ,plates4      #af4 ,,popular   
,,economic ,,botany4 ,by ,t4 ,c4        
,,archer4 ,twenty ,plates4      #ag4    
,,history ,,of ,,british ,,ferns4 ,by   
,t4 ,,moore1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty-two      
,plates4      #ah4 ,,history ,,of       
,,british ,,lichens4 ,by ,w4 ,l4        
,,lindsay1 ,m4,d4     ,twenty-two       

,plates4      #ai4 ,,popular ,,physical 
,,geology4 ,by ,j4 ,b4 ,,jukes1         
,f4,r4,s4 ,twenty     ,plates4      #bj4
 ,,history ,,of ,,zoophytes4 ,by ,dr4   
,,landsborough4 ,twenty ,plates4        
#ba4 ,,popular ,,british ,,entomology4  
,by ,,maria ,e4 ,,catlow4 ,sixteen      
,plates4      #bb4 ,,popular ,,history  
,,of ,,birds4 ,by ,,adam ,,white1       
,f4,l4,s4 ,twenty     ,plates4      #bc4
 ,,popular ,,scripture ,,zoology4 ,by   
,,maria ,e4 ,,catlow4 ,sixteen          
,plates4      #bd4 ,,the ,,woodlands4   
,by ,,mary ,,roberts4 ,twenty ,plates4  
8,a popular series of scientific        
treatises1 which1 from the simplicity of
 their style1 and the artistic          
excellence and correctness of their     
numerous illustrations1 has acquired a  
celebrity beyond that of any other      
series of modern cheap                  
works40--,standard4  ,,london3          
,,routledge1 ,,warne1 ,,and ,,routledge1
 ,,farringdon ,,street4