Читать книгу The Sea Shore - William S. Furneaux - Страница 9

Fig. 17.—Rhomboidal Net

Fig. 18.—Semicircular Net

Fig. 19.—The Dredge

Although the net, as above described, will answer the requirements of nearly all young collectors, yet there may be some, who, not satisfied with the exploration of the rocks and pools exposed when the tide is out, desire to know something of the creatures that live entirely beyond low-water mark, where the water is generally too deep for work with a hand net. To such we recommend a small dredge that may be lowered from a boat and then drawn along the bottom. A good form of dredge is shown in fig. 19, and a little skill and ingenuity will enable anyone to construct one with the help of our illustration; but, seeing that the best work is to be done on rough bottoms, it is absolutely necessary that both frame and net should be made of the stoutest materials that can be conveniently employed.

Fig. 20.—The Crab-pot

Those who have ever accompanied a fisherman while taking a pull round to examine the contents of his crab or lobster pots will probably have noticed what strange creatures, in addition to the edible crabs and lobsters, sometimes find their way into the trap. These creatures are often of great interest to a young naturalist, and it will repay him to take an occasional trip with a fisherman in order to obtain them; or, still better, to have a crab-pot of his own. The writer has obtained many good specimens by means of an inexpensive trap, on the same principle as the ordinary crab-pot, made from an old metal bird-cage of rather small size. The bottom was removed, and a very shallow bag of thick canvas fixed in its place; and some of the wires were cut, and bent inwards so as to allow the easy entrance of moderately large crustaceans and other creatures, while at the same time they served as a barrier to their escape. Such a trap, baited with pieces of fish, and let down to a rocky bottom, will enable the young naturalist to secure specimens that are seldom seen between the tide-marks; and the animals thus obtained will include not only those larger ones for which the opening was made, but also a variety of smaller creatures that may enter between the wires of the cage. Some of the latter may, of course, escape by the same way as the trap is being hauled up for examination, but this is not so likely to occur if the canvas bottom is of a material so loosely woven that water can pass through it very freely. It will, of course, occur to the reader that the insertion of a stone or other weight will assist in sinking the trap; also that the ordinary door of the cage forms a ready means by which the captives may be removed.

Fig. 21.—An old Bird-cage used as a Crab-pot

One thing more: make it a rule never to go out collecting natural objects of any kind without a note-book and pencil. This, to the beginner who is anxious to get to his work, with the idea only too prevalent with the amateur that the success of his labours is to be measured only by the number of specimens obtained, may seem quite an unnecessary part of the equipment. But it must be remembered that there is much to observe as well as much to collect on a well-selected coast; and that without the aid of the book and pencil a great many of the observations made will be forgotten, and thus much interest that would otherwise be attached to the objects permanently preserved will be lacking.

The above appliances include the only necessary equipment of the sea-side naturalist, with the exception of a few required for occasional use in connection with the species of a somewhat restricted habitat, and the outfit of the sea angler. The former will be dealt with in the chapters where the species concerned are described, while the subject of sea angling is of such general interest that we propose to devote a short chapter exclusively to it.

It may seem hardly necessary to discourse on the nature of the attire most suitable for sea-side work, since the majority will readily form their own opinions on this matter, but perhaps a few words of advice to the inexperienced may not be altogether out of place. First, then, make it a rule to wear no clothing of any value. The work will lead the enthusiast over slippery weeds, on treacherous boulders, over rocks covered with sharp acorn shells, and among slimy and muddy stones, and many a slip may occur in the course of a day’s work. Large pockets specially but simply made by sewing square pieces of lining on the inside of an old jacket are a great convenience; a cap rather than a brimmed hat should be worn unless the latter be considered essential for protection from a burning summer’s sun; and a pair of old shoes, preferably with rubber soles, are just the thing for both rough and slippery rocks, as well as for wading through shallow waters. Other details we can safely leave to the fancy of the reader himself.

Now comes the most important question ‘Where shall we go?’ Fortunately we are favoured with a great extent of coast-line considering the area of our country, but the character of the coast is so diversified, both with regard to its scenery and its life, that the naturalist will do well to carefully select his locality according to the objects he desires to study. The east coast of England is not generally noted either for variety or abundance of marine life, and the same is true both of the south-east and a large portion of the south coast. In some places the beach is formed of an unbroken stretch of sand on which one may walk for miles without seeing any sign of life, with the exception of an occasional empty shell and a few fragments of dried sea-weed washed in by the breakers during a recent storm; while at the same time the cliffs, if such exist at all, are not very generous in their production of the fauna and flora that are characteristic of the shore. But even on the coasts referred to there are, here and there, isolated spots where the uplands jut into the sea, giving rise to bold promontories, at the foot of which are the fallen masses of rock that afford protection to a moderate variety of truly marine life, while the rough bottoms beyond yield numerous interesting forms that may be secured by means of the dredge or suitable traps. Such spots are to be found where the chalk hills abut on the sea, as at Flamborough and Beachy Head, but it is in the neighbourhood of Weymouth that the English coast really begins to be of great interest to the naturalist. From here to the Land’s End almost every part of the shore will yield a great variety of life in abundance, and the same is true of the rocky coasts of the west, and also of the more rugged shores of the Isle of Wight. As an ideal hunting-ground one cannot do better than to select one of the small fishing towns or villages on the rocky coasts of Devon and Cornwall. With such a spot as his headquarters the most enthusiastic sea-side naturalist will find ample employment. The exposed rocks and rock pools yield abundance of life; and if these be searched when the tide is out, there will remain plenty of sea angling and other employments to occupy him at other times.

We will now describe the actual work of the sea-side naturalist, giving the necessary instructions for the observation and collection of the various living things he will meet with.

First, then, with regard to work on the cliffs, a very few words will suffice; for, seeing that the objects of interest to be met with here will consist principally of the various flowers that are peculiar to or characteristic of the sea shore, and certain insects and other creatures more or less partial to a life on the cliffs, we may regard these as coming within the range of the general work of the botanist, entomologist, &c.; and since instructions for the collection and preservation of such objects have already been given in former works of this series, we may pass them over at once in order to deal with those objects which are essentially marine.

It has already been hinted that the right time for collecting on the shore is when the tide is at its lowest; and in order that the best work may be done the collector should consult the local tide-tables, or calculate, if necessary, the time of high tide from the establishment of the port; and, of course, the period of spring tides should be selected if possible. The time during which work should continue must be regulated according to the enthusiasm of the collector or the time at his disposal, but, as a rule, it is advisable to be on the scene of action about three hours before the time of low tide, with a determination to work continuously until the lowest ebb of the water.

On reaching the beach it is always advisable to start by examining the line of miscellaneous material at high-water mark, along which may be found quite a variety of objects, more or less interesting, which have been washed in by the breakers, especially just after a storm, together with numerous scavengers of the shore that perform a most useful work in devouring the decomposing organic matter that would otherwise tend to pollute the air.

Here we may find many useful and interesting objects of both the animal and vegetable worlds. Among the former are the empty shells of both univalve and bivalve molluscs, some of which are more or less worn by the action of the waves, while others are in splendid condition for examination and study. Here, too, are various species of sea firs and the skeletons of sponges; the shell of the cuttle-fish, and occasionally a cluster of the eggs of this creature—the sea-grapes of the fishermen; also the egg-cases of the skate and the dog-fish—usually empty, but sometimes enclosing the young animal still alive; and, lastly, we frequently meet with portions of the skeletons of fishes in a perfect state of preservation, the animal matter having been cleared away by the combined action of the scavengers previously referred to. Then, as regards the vegetable world, we often find beautiful specimens of sea-weeds along the high-water mark, some of which are rarely met with in the rock pools, since they are species that have been detached from beyond the line of low water, and washed up by the breakers.

On turning over the debris thus thrown on the beach we intrude on the privacy of numerous living creatures which immediately scamper away to find a new hiding-place. These consist principally of sand-hoppers, but occasionally we find members of the insect world engaged in the same useful work in addition to the numerous flies that perform their office of scavengers in the bright sunshine on the top of the matter that supplies them with food.

It will be interesting to capture a few of these scavengers, and to compare them with others of the same order obtained from different localities. Thus, the flies may be compared with the more familiar house fly, and the sand-hoppers of high-water mark with similar crustaceans to be afterwards obtained lower on the beach.

Attention should now be given to the rocks left exposed by the retreating tide, and it is here that the real work begins. Examine each rock pool as soon as possible after it is no longer disturbed by the waves. Remove any tufts of corallines or other weeds required for study or preservation, and simply place them, pro tem., in the vasculum or other receptacle provided for the purpose. These will form a useful protective packing for other objects that are to be carried away, so that it will be advisable to secure a moderate amount rather early, even though they may not be required for any other purpose. Live molluscs, crabs, small fishes, &c., may all be put in the receptacle with this weed, and all will probably be still alive after the collecting and the homeward journey have been completed. Probe the corners of the pool with the point of the net, and also sweep the net upward among the weeds to remove any creatures that seek shelter among the fronds. Tufts of corallines and other weeds should be searched for the small and delicate starfishes that live among them, and any stones that may cover the bottom of the pool should be lifted. Anemones may be removed from the rocks by means of a rather blunt knife; but, if possible, it will be better to chip off a small piece of the rock with the anemone attached to it, and wrap it lightly round with a tuft of soft weed previous to placing it in the collecting case.

A number of rock pools should be searched in this manner, but those chosen should vary as much as possible in general character. All very small and delicate objects should be isolated from the general stock, and placed, with the usual packing material, either in tin boxes or small wide-mouthed bottles; and if any animals taken are not required alive, but only for preservation, they should be preferably killed at once and then stored in a separate case. Some creatures are easily killed by simply dropping them into a bottle of fresh water, but others should be covered with methylated spirit. It should be mentioned, however, that the natural appearance of some of the crustaceans is quite destroyed by strong spirit, which soon makes them look as if they had been boiled. Some species are changed in this way much more readily than others; and, until sufficient experience has been gained to enable the young collector to distinguish between them, it will be advisable to kill and temporarily preserve crustaceans in spirit that has been considerably diluted with water—about two parts of water to one of spirit, for example. Further, there are certain fragile starfishes that have a way of breaking themselves into pieces when dropped into spirit, or even when suddenly disturbed in almost any other manner. These must always be handled gently, and if it is required to kill them for preservation, the best way will be to put them in a little salt water, and then gradually add fresh water until the desired result is obtained.

Perhaps the most productive of all sea-shore work is the turning over of the stones of various sizes near the low-tide mark, and the examination of the chinks and sheltered hollows of the rocks that are left uncovered for but a short period. This work should be carried on as near the water’s edge as possible, closely following the receding tide; and the collector must now be prepared with a number of small bottles or tins for the isolation of small and delicate specimens. He must also be on the alert for numerous examples of protective resemblance, in which the animals concerned so closely resemble their surroundings in colour and general character of surface that they are detected only by careful observation, while the difficulty of identification is still further increased in instances where the creatures remain perfectly still even when disturbed.

Fig. 22.—A Young Naturalist at Work

Under the stones all manner of animals—fishes, crustaceans, worms, molluscs, starfishes, anemones, &c.—will be hiding until covered by the next tide. Some of these will be found on the ground beneath the stones, and others attached to the under surfaces of the stones themselves; therefore both should be carefully examined, attention being given at first to the more active species that hurry away with all speed towards a new shelter as soon as they find themselves exposed to the light; the less active creatures may then be secured at leisure.

The tide will not allow the collector a great deal of time in which to turn over the most productive stones—those close to the low-water mark, so there is but little opportunity of observing the movements and other interesting habits of many of the animals found; hence it is advisable to secure a good variety of living specimens, especially of the less familiar species, in order that they may be placed in some kind of aquarium, temporary or otherwise, for observation at home.

Fig. 23.—A good Hunting-ground on the Cornish Coast

One thing more remains to be done while the tide is well out, and that is to examine the weed-covered rocks near the water’s edge. Lift the dangling weeds and carefully search the rocks for those low forms of animal life that form incrustations on the surface, as well as for new species of anemones, sea firs, &c. Lastly, look well into the dark and narrow chinks of the rocks, for here several species of lowly animals that are hardly met with elsewhere may be found, and also certain crustaceans that delight to squeeze their bodies into the remotest corner of a sheltered niche.