Tenby : a sea-side holiday

Preface

This volume contains a detailed record of a summer holiday spent at Tenby. Nearly every day’s occupation is set down, just as it occurred ; tide-pool explorations, cavern searchings, microscopic examinations, scenery huntings, road-side pryings, — here they all are ; a faithful narrative of how the Author was engaged for about six weeks at that pleasant little watering-place.

Although, in common with some other of the Author’s published works, the following pages are mainly occupied with Marine Natural History, he does not fear that those who have already honoured him with their attention, will be displeased to renew their acquaintance with the subject. He ventures to believe that the aspects of nature presented here are in no degree less interesting, less fresh, or less instructive, than those which he has before essayed to unveil. If they do fail to charm, the fault is surely not in them, but in him who seeks to minister to others the delight he himself has in contemplating them. He hopes, however, t tat the approbation so kindly bestowed on his former works will be

VI

PREFACE.

continued to this, and that it may be accepted as another Lesson in the important art. of “ How and What to Observe.”

The subject has been thrown into the form of a series of Lett el's. This admits of a certain ease and freedom, by which the author is (or seems to be) brought into more direct and individual communication with every one of his readers. The earlier ones of the series were actually written on the spot, and sent, just as they now appear, to an esteemed relative in London : and it was afterwards thought well to continue the arrangement, in making up the book for the press. The epistolary form is not very prominent, however ; and if any reader dislike it, let him hut consider the Letters as Chapters, and he will scarcely be conscious of the difference.

The Illustrations, twenty-four in number, coloured after nature, represent the most interesting of the animals described in the text. With the exception of two plates, containing ten figures of Sea-Anemones, and a third devoted to our largest native Medusa, they all represent microscopic forms.

London, March, 1856.

Contents

i.

LONDON TO TENBY.

Natural Objects different in diverse Localities— Causes of peculiar Fertility obscure — Praise of Tenby — Railway travelling — Scenery around Brinscomb— Stroud — -Anecdote of Napoleon I. — Chepstow — Vale of Neath — TheGnoll — Copper Smoke — Hills of Slag — Tipping — Llanstephan — Narberth Road — Rival Benjamins—Coaching — Summer Evening — Welsh Women — Narberth Castle — Hedge-flowers — Birds — Triumphal Entry- — First Taste of Tenby. Page 1 — 10

II

ST. CATHERINE’S.

The South Sands — Garden Adornment — Bathers — Castle Hill — St Catherine’s Island — Perforated Caverns — Steps to the Summit — Ruined Chapel — Commanding Prospect — Tenby — North Cliff's — Caermarthen Bay — Gowerland — Coast of Devon — Lundy — Caldy — Giltar — Recollections and Comparisons — Burnet Moth — Curious Manners of a Rat — Rapid Influx of Tide — Evening at the Caverns — Comic Adventure — Fatal Accident.

11—21

Till

CONTENTS.

III. The Caverns

Description of St. Catherine’s Caverns — First Cavern — Dog-winkle — Smooth Anemone — Acorn-shells — Shaggy Polypes — Second Cavern— Shaft— Tidepool — Stag’s Horn Polype — Snowy-disked Anemone— Sack Sponge — Crumb Sponge — A framed Picture — Third Cavern — Sandy Pools — Algae — Botryllidee— Strawberry Ascidian — Mermaids’ Gloves — Starfishes — Mussels — Barnacles — Anemones — The Orange disk — The Orange-tentacled — The Snipe's Feather — Cypress Sertularia — House- Martins — North Cove — Tenby Head — Evening Walk — Rhizostome — Summer Night on the Sea. 22 — 36

IV. The Great Rhizostome

Importance of Microscopy — The Rhizostome — Description — Umbrella— Peduncle — Arms — Crisped Foliations — Leaves — Peculiarities in the Imbibition of Food — Fishes found in the Peduncle — Generative Organs — Tentacles — Germs — Foliations — Thread-capsules — Eyes — Mucus — Mr. Peach’s Observations. 37 — 46

V. Monkstone

Boat Excursion to Monkstone — View of Tenby from the North — The Goskar — North Sands — Noctiluca — North Cliffs— Waterwinch — Fern Cliff — Tragical Incident— Cormorant’s Nest — Blowhole — Foxes — Monkstone — Medusae — Tepid Pools — Productive Hole — Sea Weeds — Corkscrew Coralline — Bird’s-head Organs — Their Use— Sack Sponge — Mr. Bowerbank’s Discovery of Cilia — Cluster Sponge — Honeycomb Worm — Its Architecture— Arched Strata of Limestone. 47 — 56

CONTENTS.

IX

VI. North Cove

North Cove — Animals— Red-noses — Their Appearance — Their Power of Tunneling — Opposing Theories — Anemones — Snipe’s Feather — Thick-horn — Plumous — Sea-oak — Its Structure and Reproduction— Virgin Ascidia — Clavelina — Sand Launce — Shanny — Popular Nomenclature — Dictyota — Bryopsis — Levels of Organic Life — Barnacles — Mussels — Sea-weeds — Purples — Polypes and Sponges. 57 — 66

VII. To Hean Castle

Nondescript Weather — Yea and Nay — Scotsborough — Trefloyne — Legends — The Wreckers — Roadside Flowers — Bloody Crane’sbill— Fine Prospect — Saundersfoot— Collieries— Hean Castle — Park and Grounds. 67 — 72

VIII. The Stag’s Horn

The Stag’s-horn Polype — Its Form and Appearance — Protrusion of the Tentacles — The Bell — Internal Structure — Singular Appendage— The Eggs — Their spontaneous Movements — A glassy Tree — Its Branches, Flowers, and Fruit — Ciliary Vortices — Contraction — The Vorticella. 73-79

IX. Hoyle’s Mouth

Hoyle’s Mouth — Reputed Subterranean — Traditions — Terrors — Rural Walk — Reeds — Borage — Other Flowers — Birds — Flies — Grace of Wild Plauts — Variety in Form of Leaves — Common Flowers— Chaucer’s Enthusiasm— The Daisy— The Cavern- Drapery of Verdure— An exploring Visit — Result. 80 — 85

X

CONTENTS.

X. Dredging

Dredging Trip — First Haul — Second — The Bush-back — Two-spotted Sticker — Wrinkled Sertularia — Beautiful Sea-slug — Habits of N udibranchs — Thread-cells — Feathery Polype — Its Structure — Root-thread — Cells — Vesicles — Circulation — Core — Polypehead —Tentacles — Thread-cells — Poison — Pigmy Ascidia — Its Eggs. 86 — 94

XI. Tenby Head

Tenby Head — Honeycomb Limestone — Boring Mollusks — Points and Inlets — Daisy Anemones — A well-stocked Hole — Its Contents. 95 — 98

XII. Lampiiey And Pembroke

Treacherous Weather — Coast Views — Inland View — St. Florence — ■ Butterflies — Flowers — Folly’s Flower — Lamphey — Beauty of the Palace— Garden — Priest’s Chamber — Grand Window — A Shower — Victory of Nature over Art — Dream of the Past — Rainbow — Pembroke — The Castle — The Hogan Cave— Portcullises— Court — Chapel — Confessional — Vault of Torture — Keep — Dungeon — Royal Chamber — Kitchen — Subterranean — Rape of Nesta. 99 — 113

XIII. Cirriped Larvae

Metamorphosis — New-born Acom-barnacles — Description of them — Their Manners — First Moult — Progress of Development — Second Moult — Further Progress— Representative Forms — Pupa State — Process of Cementing — Appearance of the Adult Form — Tenacity of Life. 114 — 122

CONTENTS.

XI

XIV. L I D S T E P

The Sound — Gil tar Cliffs — Bear Cave — Sea-weed Forest — Guillemots — llibweed — Dangerous Hole — Sewin-fishing — Flat-roofed Caves — Pillars — Rouse Hole — Proud Gil tar — Grandeur of the Bluff— Lidstep — Perpendicular Strata — Abbey-like Area — A natural Palace — The Droch — Sea-birds — Shrinkle Head — Insular Rock — Zoophyte-hunting — Fine Anemones — Medusae — Sea-weeds — Beauty of the Ciliated Ceramium. 123 — 133

XY.

ST. MARGARET’S.

Caldy and St. Margaret’s — Exploring Trip — Rugged Rocks — Brussels Hole— Dead-man’s Finger — Its Changes — Crested Plnmularia — Its Beauty— Its Curious Yesicles — A populous City— Warty Gigartina— Gelidium— Sea-hare— Its Purple Dye — Curious Analogies — Herbivorous Stomachs — Striped Polycera —St. Margaret’s Caves— Shoal of Mackerel— Majesty of the Caverns — Medusce and Beroes — Guillemots — Curious Mistake — Maternal Love — Cormorant taking Prey — Instinct at Fault — Eel and Crab Fishing. 434 44(3

XYI.

CAREW CASTLE.

Scotsborough and Gumfreston — St. Florence— Fine View— Carew

Cross— Castle — Confessional and its Pit— Cruelty of Popery

Festive Character of Carew— State Rooms— Historic Associations — Ramparts — A hard-pressed Fox — Viper’s Bugloss — Tournament of Sir Rhys. 147—153

XU

CONTENTS.

XVII.

SOUTH COVE.

Projecting Ridge — Bay of Sand — Dark Pool — Fine Anemone — Rhodymenia — Large Eolis — An Enemy to Zoophytes — Its Spawn — Scale-worm — Soft Crab — Violet Fiddler — Aquatic Harlequin — Its Leaping-poles — Scale-armour — Microscopic Appearance of the Scales — Their Ribs — Undulations — Stalk.

154—161

XVIII.

THE CLA VELINA.

Form and Appearance of Clavelina— Its creeping Root — Breathing Sac — Array of ciliated Cells — Beautiful Phenomenon — Ova — Birth of the Young — Description of it — Its Development.

162-168

XIX.

SURFACE-ANIMALS.

Larva of a Crab — Comparison with Mr. Couch’s Figure — Metamorphosis— Results of the Change — Circulation — Curious Vessel — Purple-ringed Medusa — Structure of the Eye — Prisms— Their Composition — Sagitta — Its Head — Spines — Digestive Canal — Fins — Eyes — Habits — History — Zoological Position. 169—180

XX.

THE SUCKING-FISH.

Two-spotted Sucker — Its Minuteness — Beauty — Parental Care — Eggs — -Birth of Young — Its Appearance under the Microscope — Blood Circulation — Interest of the Spectacle. 181 — 184

CONTENTS.

XUI

XXL

TRAWLING.

Trawlers getting under Weigh — Stern Necessity — Particulars of the Enterprise — Description of the Craft — The Trawl — Beam — Heads — Trawl Rope — Pockets — Bridle — Warp — Cost — Process of Trawling — The Haul — Disposal of the Fish— Rubbish — Its comparative Value — Apathy of the Trawlers — Disappointed Expectations— Plumularia — Leafy Sea-mat- — Its Odour — Number of Cells — Spines — Coverlid — Lip — Polype — A vicularium — Its Movements — Provision for their Freedom — Papery Sea-mat. 185—198

XXII.

Early Morning — Haymakers — Birds’ Songs - Wall-Ferns — Scotsborough — Musings — Gumfreston — Wells — Old Church — * Churchyard — Botanical Excursion — Benet-herb — Lion’s- tail — Cinquefoil — Sweet Gale — Penally Bog — Sedge Tussocks — Awkward Travelling — Marsh Pennywort — Osmund Royal — Meadowsweet — Asphodel — Skullcap — Bog-bean— Bog Pimpernel — Sundew— Superstitions— Legend of the Spell-bound Robber— The lost Watch — A Look at Scotsborough — In-door Trees — Garden— Retrospections baulked — Welsh Fires— Ball — Stumming down — Ball-making. 199 215

XXIII.

MANORBEER.

Welsh Castles— “The Paradise of Wales ’’—Roadside Cottages— Love of Flowers — Hyoscyamus — Hound’s-tongue — Sea Spurge — Eryngo — Sea Bindweed — Picknicking— Cattle — The' Beach — St. Gowan’s Head— Stackpole Plead— Cromlech— Fine View

—Fissures— Mountain Stream — Sonnet— Manorbeer Castle

Towers— View from the Battlements — Church —Ancient Village — Orobanche — Beauty of the Scene. 216 228

XIV

CONTENTS.

XXIV.

THE LIFE-BOAT.

Life-boat and Crew — Gambols — Capsizing the Boat — Her Construction— Value of the Life-boat. 229 — 231

XXY.

PEDICELLARIiE.

Conflicting Opinions of Naturalists— Dr. Sliarpey’s Description — Professor Forbes’s Observations — Mr. Sars’s Opinions— Forbes’s Strictures on these — Pedicellariae of Starfish — Calcareous Skeleton— Those of Sea-Urchin — Three Forms — P. triphylla — P. tridens — The Blades — Teeth — Cavities — Surface Glands — Comparison with a Spine — Cilia — On Pedicellariae— On Spines — On Suckers — Professor Agassiz on Locomotion in Echini — Skeleton of P. tridens — Its Beauty — P. globifera — P. stereophylla — Observations of M. Valentin— Supplementary Suggestions of M. Agassiz — Pediccllaria on a Mollusk. 232 — 251

XXYI.

TO AMRUTH CASTLE.

Disappointments — Fresh Resource — Tide at the Points — Magnificent View — Hedge Plants — Bryony — Foxglove — Wiseman’s Bridge — Black Rock — Kilgetty — Caermarthen Bay — Amruth Castle —Tel Pin — Submarine Forest — Boring Mollusks — Traditions of Inundations — Cantre ’r Gwaelod — St. Issel’s — Romantic Glen — Begelly — Thunder-shower. 252 — 259

XXVII.

THE SEA-SPIDER.

Mr. No-body — Description of his Person — His Head and Eyes — Blood-circulation — Reversal of its Course — Peculiarities — Observations of Dr. Milne-Edwards. 260 — 263

CONTENTS.

XV XXVIII

GILTAE.

The Burrows — Sea-reed — Eryngo — Insulated Eock — Inland and Seaward Views — Migration of Eels — Harvest-man — Its Parasites— Burnet-rose — Chacun a son GoUt — Penally — Giltar — Dewberry — Flowers — View from the Summit — Caldy and St. Margaret’s — The Sound — Proud Giltar — Funnel-Caverns — - Pipit — Perforated Eoek — Quarrying Limestone — Beauty of St. Catherine’s — Sea-weeds — Burrowing Shell-fish — Popular Zoology again — Therapeutics. 264 — 271

XXIX.

LUMINOUS ANIMALS.

Beautiful Phenomenon — Ceratium — Its Form and Manners — Its Proboscis — Power of emitting Light — Synchaeta — “ Great and Small ” — Its Organization — The Eye — Mouth — Stomach — Contractile Bladder — Muscles — Ciliary Disk — Foot — Elegance of Appearance and Movements— -Larva of unknown Annelid — Analogies with Eotifera — Larva of Spio — Marine Animals in Fresh Water. 272 — 281

XXX.

YOUNG SEA-UECHINS.

The Larva — Its supporting Eods— Bell of Flesh — -Mouth and Stomach — Cilia — Another Species — Probable Identification — Differences of Structure — Strange Development of the Urchin — Observations of Professor Muller — Appearance of Disk — Of Pedicellariae — Of Suckers — Of Spines — Evanescence of the Bell — Further Progress. 282 — 288

XVI Contents

XXXI.

VIEW FROM THE CROFT.

Evening — Penally — The Ridgeway — Poole's Cottage — Caermarthen Bay — Gower — Tenby — Character of the Landscape — A brilliant Sunset — Shelley’s fine Simile. 289 — 291

XXXII.

KNIGHTSTON POND.

Knightston— The Tond — Moor-hens— Rotifer-fishing — Implements — Operations — Examination of the Dip — Various Animalcule* — Various Localities for dipping — Forest Road — Corn-fields.

292—296

XXXIII.

How to isolate the Subject — First Mode — Result — The Yellow Phi- Iodine — Its Form — False Joints — Foot and Toes — Wheels — Spur — Eyes — Mouth — Stomach — Liver — Inversion — Eversion — Ciliary Rotations — Modes of Locomotion— Colour and Size — The Stylonychia — Its Agility — The Common Wheel-bearer — Its Manners — Addition of Carmine — Beautiful Result — Alimentary Canal — Eyes— Second Mode of Isolation — The Whiptail — The Furcularia — Its Industry — Tube-dwellers — The Floscule — Its Body — Disk — Hairs — Internal Structure — Mode of Feeding — Manners — Tube — Eggs— Birth of Young— Size — The Melicerta — Its Claims to Attention — Tube — Unfolding of the Disk — Rotatory Cilm — Error of old Observers — Pellet-cup — Its building Instincts — A Brick-maker and Mason — Reflection of the Divine Glory — List of observed Rotifera. 297 — 317

CONTENTS.

XV 11

XXXIV.

SPONGES.

The Rose-coloured Sponge— Its Form— Spicula— Investing Membrane— Ex-current — Projectile Tubes — The Scarlet Sponge — Its Phenomena - Evidences of Animal Life— Enumeration of Species — Crumb of Bread Sponge — Caruncled Sponge — Crust Sponge — Scarlet Sponge — Soft Scarlet Sponge— Rose Sponge— Sack Sponge — Crowned Sponge — Cluster Sponge — Rigid Sack Sponge — A Caveat. 318 — 326

XXXV.

THE BOWERBANKIA, &c.

August Tides — North Coast of St. Catherine’s — Mud — Desmarestia — Fourth Cavern — Bowerbankia — Varieties of Habit — Development— Process of Protrusion — The Polype — Bundle of Setre — Tentacle-Bell — Beauty under reflected Light — The Purple Sabella — Its Tube — Crown — Tubercles. 327 — 332

XXXVI.

ST. GO WAN’S.

The Ridgeway — Its Formation — Story of a Thunderstorm — Round Tower— The Cleddau — Ash-trees— Pembroke— Best View of the Castle — Stackpole Court — Lake — Swans — Petrox Church — Bosheston — Peregrine Falcon — St. Gowan’s — Legends^ — The Steps — Magnificence of Scenery — Lichens — Chapel — Wishing-cell — Popular Superstition — Ancient Date — The Rocks around — St. Gowan’s Head — Sea-Gulls — The Well— The Bell — Legend — Suggested Rationale — Ridged Periwinkle — Perforated Cavern — Fine Sea-weeds — Seals devouring Prey — Chasm — The Huntsman’s Leap — Bosheston Mere— Danish Earthwork — Sunken Wood— Bull-slaughter Bay — The Caldron — Its Extraordinary Sublimity — Wraath — The Stacks — Bird Stations — Archway — The Wash— Night — St. Ann’s Lights — Glow-worms. 333 — 355

CONTEXTS.

XXXVII.

SEA-iNEMOIES.

The Orange-tentacled Anemone — The Orange-disked Anemone — The Glaucous Warty Anemone — The Snake-locked Anemone — The Rosy Anemone — The Daisy Anemone — The Snipe’s Feather Anemone — The Snowy Anemone — The Plumous Anemone — The Common Smooth Anemone — The Furrowed Anthea — Reproduction of Parts — Spontaneous Fission — The Auricled Lucernaria. 356 — 375

Appendix

I.

Encroachments of the Sea 377 — 385

II.

Subdivision of the genus Actinia 386 — 394

Systematic Index of the Invertebrata

LIST OF PLATES.

Plate

To face page

I.

The Rhizostome

II.

The Stag’s-horn Polype . . .

III.

Young Barnacles

IY.

Ibid

V.

A Group of Clavelinse . . .

16*2

YI.

Metamorphosis of Clavelina . .

VII.

Pupa of Galathea

VIII.

Young Galathea

IX.

The Sagitta

X.

The Sea-mats

XI.

Pedicellarne of Star-fish . . .

XII.

Skeleton of Pedicellaria . . .

XIII.

Pedicellariae of Urchin . . .

XIV.

The Luminous Synchaeta . . .

XV.

Young Annelides

XVI.

Young Sea-Urchin

.

.

-

TENBY.