Samuel Hannaford

“ We walk awhile up the stream, and small as it is, the banks are indeed lovely to behold, planted as they are, despite the sad havoc made by cattle to which we may owe the barrenness of much of our river scenery, with rich dense masses of the fresh green Sea-rush, Scirpus maritimus, known to many by rivers near the sea at home, from the cover of which start a fine pair of Bitterns, who fly heavily and lazily away. ”

“ Well supplied with all that is needful for any thing that may turn up, we are soon away, shaking the dewdrops off the grass, the pink flowering Convolvulus, and the pale blue Veronica, or Speedwell. The Hopkins River is about a mile and a-half to the eastward of the town, and the walk to it is full of interest, but as the day is young yet, we may even linger on our way. ”

“ We know more from Nature than we can at will communicate. Its light flows into the mind evermore, and we forget its presence. The poet, the orator, bred in the woods, whose senses have been nourished by their fair and appeasing changes, year after year, without design, and without heed, shall not lose their lesson altogether, in the roar of cities or the broil of politics. ”

“ The tail indeed is the family inheritance, but reversing the laws of primogeniture, it always descends to the youngest; like that elaborate display of baby linen which was worked with such fondness for the first-born, and has become in turns the costume of successive pledges as they appeared on this scene of life with a constant diminendo of interest in all but parental eyes. ”

“ To be at the Sea-side without some occupation is one of the dreariest things which can fall to a man's lot,—by occupation let it be remembered we do not mean the abominable pastime,—novel-reading,—so often indulged in, and called recreation, but that in which the mind can participate and be prevented from falling into that listless state which too often succeeds a season of idleness and desuetude. ”

“ How we long with them to wander "ankle deep in flowers" all the day through, casting off the feeling that there are such things as petty jealousies and rivalries every where surrounding us in our contact with mankind;—surely the communing with nature does much to soften down these feelings to which unhappily we are all more or less prone, and teaches us what mere specks we are in creation, and how much enjoyment might be had during our comparatively brief existence did we go the right way to work to find it. ”

“ But we should not omit to say a few words of the Birds of the Sea-shore, since they tend so much to our enlivenment—we could not forget them if we would: there are first the Gulls, ever restless, screaming their shrill note now just over our heads, and anon flying far out to sea in search of food, in the choice of which they do not seem very particular, preying greedily upon Fishes, Crustacea, Mollusca, and almost any carcase which is floating. ”

“ While the fields are radiant with their beauty, and the gentle zephyrs fragrant with their scented odours, the great tide ebbs and flows over the flowerless plants of the sea. Around the huge rocks the perennial fringes of the olive Fuci, undulate in graceful folds among the swelling waves. ”

“ Let the true lover of Nature, intent on enquiring into her mysteries be stirring early; an hour after sunrise by the river's brink will give him matter for reflection the whole day long,—it is then the joyous matin song of the feathered tribes may be heard ”

“ Everywhere we are treading under foot the spicy Mints, the more fragrant the more they are crushed the delicate Convolvulus is twining elegantly round the stems of the Loosestrife, the pink flowers of which are always attractive, and the lovely white crimson petalled flowers of the Damasonium just peep above the surface of the water on which its dark green leaves float so refreshingly ”

“ And now we may enliven the appearance of the Aquarium, by adding some seaweeds preparatory to stocking it with such animals as may be most desirable,—nor is this portion of our operations lightly to be passed over, for on its proper regulation depends almost entirely success or failure. The collection of materials will afford much pleasure and healthy exercise, and when they are flourishing and spreading out their delicate fronds in the waters of our tank, we can recall with delight the rambles we had in search of them. ”

“ A little lower down we come to the Falls of the Hopkins, whose limpid waters sparkle in the sun, and a few miles further still, to the Allansford Bridge, past which the stream glides musically along, like the murmur of a pebbly brook in the old country, through rich black soil, well stocked with flowers, and tenanted by industrious hard-working men. ”

“ We stay on the water's edge for a time to note the elegant little Triglochin decipiens, (Arrow-grass,) the blue Mimulus or Monkey flower, and other plants which choose such moist situations; nor can we resist the pleasant shrill chirp which issues ever and again from the dense cover of the rushes; it is that of an old friend, which from its habit of flitting through the reeds and low grasses is only imperfectly known, and it cost us, we remember, some years since, many hours of patience before we could ascertain from what source the Grasshopper-like chirp emanated. ”

“ The aperture is nearly as large as the shell itself, one end being slightly spiral, and from the spire to the other extremity is a row of holes, for the passage of the animal's mantle, which are made at regular intervals as it increases in size, the one nearest the spire closing up as each new one is formed, leaving seven or eight generally open; the interior of the shell is beautifully iridiscent, and in much request for inlaying purposes. The animal itself is exceedingly worthy of attention, its head and side-lobes being fringed or festooned. ”

“ Here Nature appears in new and sportive forms, in aspect startingly dissimilar from what we of the old world are conversant with, but connected by the delicate web of affinity in a manner often little expected by the common observer, and only discernible by those who delight to trace in the endless variety of natural forms, the unity of design which characterises the whole. ”

“ The mouth of the Cephalopoda is singularly formidable,—it is armed with a pair of powerful horny jaws, having within them a fleshy tongue, the whole apparatus being not unlike the bill and mouth of a parrot, forming, as may readily be imagined, most destructive instruments amongst the young crustaceous and testaceous animals on which they prey at the bottom of the ocean, where by day they establish themselves, but roaming gregariously after nightfall. ”

“ The Naturalist is at home everywhere, and finds a museum where the ordinary voyager sees nothing but a waste. In the Polar regions he is intensely happy, but in the tropics he is in Paradise itself. No district is so poor and barren, but it has treasures for him, and none so rich, but that all its gold would fail to prevent his rushing after a new butterfly, or climbing the rocks after a new flower. ”

“ Well has Christopher North said, that "Nature does not spread in vain her flowers in flush and fragrance over every obscure nook of the earth,—simple and pure is the delight they inspire. Not to the Poet's eye alone is their language addressed. The beautiful symbols are understood by the lowliest minds." ”

“ The lover of Nature becomes imbued with a kindly feeling to every living thing, and this surely must in a great measure be extended to his fellows.
There is a truth in the saying of old Isaac Walton, that the mere sitting by a river's side, is not only the quietest and fittest place for contemplation but will invite one to it. A Spanish writer too says, that "Rivers, and the inhabitants of the watery element, were made for wise men to contemplate, and fools to pass by without contemplation." ”

“ The arrangement of a collection of Shells is a mere matter of taste, much depending on the space that can be afforded to it. We who lead a somewhat nomadic life, prefer keeping the smaller species in small pill boxes, which can be purchased in nests at a trifling cost, the name of each species being carefully recorded on the lid; but a pair of each shell arranged on a cardboard, with the operculum glued down alongside, facilitates easy classification and subsequent examination. ”

“ We find a thin flat ribbon-shaped gelatinous creature of a dirty white colour, writhing about into all manner of crevices to prevent its being detached, twisting itself into curious shapes, but always adhering so tenaciously to the rock, that it is scarcely possible to remove it without mutilation;—however, Naturalists have a certain amount of perseverance, and done will we never be, so at last when the patience of our companions is well nigh exhausted, we have a specimen fairly bottled. ”

“ The wonderful process of the Terebella multiplying itself by gemmation, described in such a spirited manner in the "Sea-side Studies, (page 61,) is far too interesting not to find a place in our Work;—it is quite a new feature in its history, although it has been long known to occur in nearly allied Annelida, the tail of the Nereis, for instance, being still the tail of its offspring, and however often the body may divide, still the same tail remains attached to the hinder portion, so that this part of the animal may be said to enjoy a kind of immunity from death. ”

“ Now then let us watch how industriously they are cleaning off the dark coating of Conferva, which has already commenced growing on the sides of our Aquarium, and with this lens see how they use their tongue; the upper lip with its mandible is raised, the lower lip which is horse-shoe shaped, expands, the tongue is protruded and applied to the surface for an instant, and then withdrawn; its teeth glitter like glass paper, and in Limnæa it is so flexible that frequently it will catch against projecting points, and be drawn out of shape slightly as it vibrates over the surface. ”

“ The Shore birds are silent enough; but see how the water birds are sporting about in the greatest enjoyment, perpetually turning over and over in the water, now diving and only raising their bills just above the surface to breathe, their bodies still remaining submerged. How we envy them as we pant here, shrivelled up almost by the sun's rays. ”

“ The doubt arises in our mind, whether the larva is attacked when living and eventually killed by the germination of the plant, or does its dead body afford that peculiar stage of decomposition favorable to the growth of the Fungus? ”

“ Densely populated as seawater is with minute animal life, it must necessarily be more conducive to the success of an Aquarium than that artificially made. Mr. Hibberd argues the question in this way, that in the latter, the very absence of organic matter is advantageous, since the water is less likely to get out of condition than the seawater, where the germs may decay and putrefy, spreading destruction in all directions,—nevertheless, give us seawater with life in as many of its infinitesimal germs as possible. We can by care guard against casualties, but we cannot always obtain specimens. ”

“ Well, if we cannot fill our creel there is nothing which so thoroughly refreshes us as a ramble away from the conventionalities of town life, where we can breathe freely, and we cannot but think with the agreeable author of "Life in the Woods," that one degenerates without frequent communion with Nature. ”

“ We try our luck; but not a nibble can we get, and we verily believe these cannibals of fish are finishing their morning meal elsewhere, so we stow away our fishing tackle, form our rods into handles for landing nets, and as the morning air is still chilly, light our pipes and roam away amidst the deep holes, startling myriads of crabs and small fry of all kinds. ”

“ When the eggs have been removed to some distance, it has been noticed to go towards them, take them up again, and move off with them, showing that these animals so low in structure, and apparently deprived of all instinct, (if any animal can be supposed to be without it,) really watch over their young. A Sea-egg or two will be great pets. Of shells we should select specimens of the Fwus or Spindle shell, their bright red feet rendering them very attractive, as they crawl up the sides of the tank ”

“ THE HOPKINS.
⁠"Ignota videre
Flumina gaudebat,"— Ovid.
Westward ho! Further away from the haunts of men to where, undisturbed by anything but the sweet sounds of Nature, with lovely wild plants around us, giving odour as we press them, we may ruralise at will. ”

“ There always appears to us something cruel in keeping any animal of this kind in confinement, where not only it is deprived of its requisite food, but is unable to follow its natural habits and instincts, and what food it does get, is doled out at prolonged and irregular intervals, by the hand of some child to whom it has been given as a pet. ”

“ Allied to the Pipe-fish is the Sea Horse (Hippocampus) so called from its snout resembling the head of a horse; it is a great pet, as was instanced by the crowd of persons visiting the bathing-house when a specimen was exhibited there, and will well repay any additional care which the Naturalist may bestow on it. We give elsewhere a sketch of this singular fish, but it must be seen alive before any idea can be formed of its quaint way of poking its snout into all manner of crevices, and twisting its tail around any object which may present itself ”

“ After a time, however, which frequently extends to some two or three hours, the motion becomes much retarded, and at length after faint struggles, entirely ceases, and the Zoospores then lie as though dead;—not so, nevertheless—they have merely lost the power of locomotion,—the vital principle is still active within them, and they are seen to expand, to become partitioned, and if the species be of an attached kind, each Zoospore will emit from its transparent extremity two or more radicles, whereby it becomes finally and for ever fixed. ”

“ At the pleasure of the animal, or under the stimulus of pressure, this thread is shot forth from one end of the cell with great force, until it extends to a length from twice to fifty times that of the cell. When fully extended it is seen that the thread is but a continuation of the cell itself, that when it was dormant it was turned in, and that in the process of expulsion, every part of its length has actually been turned inside out like the finger of a glove. ”