The sea-shore / by W.S. Furneau.

  • William Samuel Furneaux
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The sea-shore / by W.S. Furneau. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    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 v^hich 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 likelj' 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. One thing more: make it a rule never to go out collecting natural ob- jects 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 foo prevalent with the ama- teur 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 thei’e Fig. 21.—An old Bibd-cage is much to observe as well as much to used as a Crab-pot collect on a well-selected coast; and that without the aid of the book and pencil a great many of the obser- vations made will be forgotten, and thus mueh 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 coimection 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
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