the　cool　of　the　day。〃
  One　sight　more；　and　we　have　done。　　I　had　something　to　say；　had　time
  permitted；　on　the　ludicrous　element　which　appears　here　and　there　in
  nature。　　There　are　animals；　like　monkeys　and　crabs；　which　seem　made
  to　be　laughed　at；　by　those　at　least　who　possess　that　most
  indefinable　of　faculties；　the　sense　of　the　ridiculous。　　As　long　as
  man　possesses　muscles　especially　formed　to　enable　him　to　laugh；　we
  have　no　right　to　suppose　（with　some）　that　laughter　is　an　accident
  of　our　fallen　nature；　or　to　find　（with　others）　the　primary　cause　of
  the　ridiculous　in　the　perception　of　unfitness　or　disharmony。　　And
  yet　we　shrink　（whether　rightly　or　wrongly；　we　can　hardly　tell）　from
  attributing　a　sense　of　the　ludicrous　to　the　Creator　of　these　forms。
  It　may　be　a　weakness　on　my　part；　at　least　I　will　hope　it　is　a
  reverent　one：　　but　till　we　can　find　something　corresponding　to　what
  we　conceive　of　the　Divine　Mind　in　any　class　of　phenomena；　it　is
  perhaps　better　not　to　talk　about　them　at　all；　but　observe　a　stoic
  〃epoche；〃　waiting　for　more　light；　and　yet　confessing　that　our　own
  laughter　is　uncontrollable；　and　therefore　we　hope　not　unworthy　of
  us；　at　many　a　strange　creature　and　strange　doing　which　we　meet；
  from　the　highest　ape　to　the　lowest　polype。
  But；　in　the　meanwhile；　there　are　animals　in　which　results　so
  strange；　fantastic；　even　seemingly　horrible；　are　produced；　that
  fallen　man　may　be　pardoned；　if　he　shrinks　from　them　in　disgust。
  That；　at　least；　must　be　a　consequence　of　our　own　wrong　state；　for
  everything　is　beautiful　and　perfect　in　its　place。　　It　may　be
  answered；　〃Yes；　in　its　place；　but　its　place　is　not　yours。　　You　had
  no　business　to　look　at　it；　and　must　pay　the　penalty　for
  intermeddling。〃　　I　doubt　that　answer；　for　surely；　if　man　have
  liberty　to　do　anything；　he　has　liberty　to　search　out　freely　his
  heavenly　Father's　works；　and　yet　every　one　seems　to　have　his
  antipathic　animal；　and　I　know　one　bred　from　his　childhood　to
  zoology　by　land　and　sea；　and　bold　in　asserting；　and　honest　in
  feeling；　that　all　without　exception　is　beautiful；　who　yet　cannot；
  after　handling　and　petting　and　admiring　all　day　long　every　uncouth
  and　venomous　beast；　avoid　a　paroxysm　of　horror　at　the　sight　of　the
  common　house…spider。　　At　all　events；　whether　we　were　intruding　or
  not；　in　turning　this　stone；　we　must　pay　a　fine　for　having　done　so；
  for　there　lies　an　animal　as　foul　and　monstrous　to　the　eye　as
  〃hydra；　gorgon；　or　chimaera　dire；〃　and　yet　so　wondrously　fitted　to
  its　work；　that　we　must　needs　endure　for　our　own　instruction　to
  handle　and　to　look　at　it。　　Its　name；　if　you　wish　for　it；　is
  Nemertes；　probably　N。　Borlasii；　（18）　a　worm　of　very　〃low〃
  organization；　though　well　fitted　enough　for　its　own　work。　　You　see
  it？　　That　black；　shiny；　knotted　lump　among　the　gravel；　small　enough
  to　be　taken　up　in　a　dessert　spoon。　　Look　now；　as　it　is　raised　and
  its　coils　drawn　out。　　Three　feet　…　six　…　nine；　at　least：　　with　a
  capability　of　seemingly　endless　expansion；　a　slimy　tape　of　living
  caoutchouc；　some　eighth　of　an　inch　in　diameter；　a　dark　chocolate…
  black；　with　paler　longitudinal　lines。　　Is　it　alive？　　It　hangs；
  helpless　and　motionless；　a　mere　velvet　string　across　the　hand。　　Ask
  the　neighbouring　Annelids　and　the　fry　of　the　rock　fishes；　or　put　it
  into　a　vase　at　home；　and　see。　　It　lies　motionless；　trailing　itself
  among　the　gravel；　you　cannot　tell　where　it　begins　or　ends；　it　may
  be　a　dead　strip　of　sea…weed；　Himanthalia　lorea；　perhaps；　or　Chorda
  filum；　or　even　a　tarred　string。　　So　thinks　the　little　fish　who
  plays　over　and　over　it；　till　he　touches　at　last　what　is　too　surely
  a　head。　　In　an　instant　a　bell…shaped　sucker　mouth　has　fastened　to
  his　side。　　In　another　instant；　from　one　lip；　a　concave　double
  proboscis；　just　like　a　tapir's　（another　instance　of　the　repetition
  of　forms）；　has　clasped　him　like　a　finger；　and　now　begins　the
  struggle：　　but　in　vain。　　He　is　being　〃played〃　with　such　a　fishing…
  line　as　the　skill　of　a　Wilson　or　a　Stoddart　never　could　invent；　a
  living　line；　with　elasticity　beyond　that　of　the　most　delicate　fly…
  rod；　which　follows　every　lunge；　shortening　and　lengthening；
  slipping　and　twining　round　every　piece　of　gravel　and　stem　of　sea…
  weed；　with　a　tiring　drag　such　as　no　Highland　wrist　or　step　could
  ever　bring　to　bear　on　salmon　or　on　trout。　　The　victim　is　tired　now；
  and　slowly；　and　yet　dexterously；　his　blind　assailant　is　feeling　and
  shifting　along　his　side；　till　he　reaches　one　end　of　him；　and　then
  the　black　lips　expand；　and　slowly　and　surely　the　curved　finger
  begins　packing　him　end…foremost　down　into　the　gullet；　where　he
  sinks；　inch　by　inch；　till　the　swelling　which　marks　his　place　is
  lost　among　the　coils；　and　he　is　probably　macerated　to　a　pulp　long
  before　he　has　reached　the　opposite　extremity　of　his　cave　of　doom。
  Once　safe　down；　the　black　murderer　slowly　contracts　again　into　a
  knotted　heap；　and　lies；　like　a　boa　with　a　stag　inside　him；
  motionless　and　blest。　（19）
  There；　we　must　come　away　now；　for　the　tide　is　over　our　ankles；　but
  touch；　before　you　go；　one　of　those　little　red　mouths　which　peep　out
  of　the　stone。　　A　tiny　jet　of　water　shoots　up　almost　into　your　face。
  The　bivalve　（20）　who　has　burrowed　into　the　limestone　knot　（the
  softest　part　of　the　stone　to　his　jaws；　though　the　hardest　to　your
  chisel）　is　scandalized　at　having　the　soft　mouths　of　his　siphons　so
  rudely　touched；　and　taking　your　finger　for　some　bothering　Annelid；
  who　wants　to　nibble　him；　is　defending　himself；　shooting　you；　as
  naturalists　do　humming…birds；　with　water。　　Let　him　rest　in　peace；
  it　will　cost　you　ten　minutes'　hard　work；　and　much　dirt；　to　extract
  him；　but　if　you　are　fond　of　shells；　secure　one　or　two　of　those
  beautiful　pink　and　straw…coloured　scallops　（Hinnites　pusio；　Plate
  X。　fig。　1）；　who　have　gradually　incorporated　the　layers　of　their
  lower　valve　with　the　roughnesses　of　the　stone；　destroying　thereby
  the　beautiful　form　which　belongs　to　their　race；　but　not　their
  delicate　colour。　　There　are　a　few　more　bivalves　too；　adhering　to
  the　stone；　and　those　rare　ones；　and　two　or　three　delicate　Mangeliae
  and　Nassae　（21）　are　trailing　their　graceful　spires　up　and　down　in
  search　of　food。　　That　little　bright　red　and　yellow　pea；　too；　touch
  it　…　the　brilliant　coloured　cloak　is　withdrawn；　and；　instead；　you
  have　a　beautiful　ribbed　pink　cowry；　（22）　our　only　European
  representative　of　that　grand　tropical　family。　　Cast　one　wondering
  glance；　too；　at　the　forest　of　zoophytes　and　corals；　Lepraliae　and
  Flustrae；　and　those　quaint　blue　stars；　set　in　brown　jelly；　which
  are　no　zoophytes；　but　respectable　molluscs；　each　with　his　well…
  formed　mouth　and　intestines；　（23）　but　combined　in　a　peculiar　form
  of　Communism；　of　which　all　one　can　say　is；　that　one　hopes　they　like
  it；　and　that；　at　all　events；　they　agree　better　than　the　heroes　and
  heroines　of　Mr。　Hawthorne's　〃Blithedale　Romance。〃
  Now　away；　and　as　a　specimen　of　the　fertility　of　the　water…world；
  look　at　this　rough　list　of　species；　（24）　the　greater　part　of　which
  are　on　this　very　stone；　and　all　of　which　you　might　obtain　in　an
  hour；　would　the　rude　tide　wait　for　zoologists：　　and　remember　that
  the　number　of　individuals　of　each　species　of　polype　must　be　counted
  by　tens　of　thousands；　and　also；　that；　by　searching　the　forest　of
  sea…weeds　which　covers　the　upper　surface；　we　should　probably　obtain
  some　twenty　minute　species　more。
  A　goodly　catalogue　this；　surely；　of　the　inhabitants　of　three　or
  four　large　stones；　and　yet　how　small　a　specimen　of　the
  multitudinous　nations　of　the　sea！
  From　the　bare　rocks　above　high…water　mark；　down　to　abysses　deeper
  than　ever　plummet　sounded；　is　life；　everywhere　life；　fauna　after
  fauna；　and　flora　after　flora；　arranged　in　zones；　according　to　the
  amount　of　light　and　warmth　which　each　species　requires；　and　to　the
  amount　of　pressure　which　they　are　able　to　endure。　　The　crevices　of
  the　highest　rocks；　only　sprinkled　with　salt　spray　in　spring…tides
  and　high　gales；　have　their　peculiar　little　univalves；　their　crisp
  lichen…like　sea…weed；　in　myriads；　lower　down；　the　region　of　the
  Fuci　（bladder…weeds）　has　its　own　tribes　of　periwinkles　and　limpets；
  below　again；　about　the　neap…tide　mark；　the　region　of　the　corallines
  and　Algae　furnishes　food　for　yet　other　species　who　graze　on　its
  watery　meadows；　and　beneath　all；　only　uncovered　at　low　spring…tide；
  the　zone　of　the　Laminariae　（the　great　tangles　and　ore…weeds）　is
  most　full　of　all　of　every　imaginable　form　of　life。　　So　that　as　we
  descend　the　rocks；　we　may　compare　ourselves　（likening　small　things
  to　great）　to　those　who；　descending　the　Andes；　pass　in　a　single　day
  from　the　vegetation　of　the　Arctic　zone　to　that　of　the　Tropics。　　And
  here　and　there；　even　at　half…tide　level；　deep　rock…basins；　shaded
  from　the　sun　and　always　full　of　water；　keep　up　in　a　higher　zone　the
  vegetation　of　a　lower　one；　and　afford　in　nature　an　analogy　to