place a dull-looking thing,
like a piece of soaking wet leather. At the solicitations of his
cousins, however, and following their example, Fred soon had several
dull, dumpy-looking discs in his jar. But now their attention was
called to Mr Inglis, who had found a specimen of the brittle star-fish,
which soon showed its right to the name by throwing off a couple of
ray-like arms. Next there were pinky-looking sea-slugs to gaze upon;
and at last, under a stone which Mr Inglis turned over with the iron
bar, such a myriad of objects for wonder and admiration, that all eyes
were directed to the different specimens, while every ear was open to
drink in the descriptions given by Mr Inglis. One of the curiosities
was a long, thin black ribbon, coiled and twisted about in all sorts of
awkward bends and curves; and this Mr Inglis told them was a curious
worm that lay with one end--the tail--firmly anchored to a stone, while
with the head it seized the first thing that touched it as it swam by.
Then would begin a struggle, the trapped one darting off, and dragging
to get away; while the worm, tough, thin, and pliant as a fishing-line,
let it play about till tired out, when the thin, black-looking monster
would quietly swallow his prey, boa-constrictor fashion, till nothing
was visible of it but a large knob in the worm's thin body. Then there
were polypes; hermit-crabs with their tails in cast-off shells; tiny
shell-fish tightly clinging to the stones; boring shells, weeds, and
tangles, swarming with innumerable tiny living forms; and so at last
bottles and jars were as well filled as was possible with treasures
enough to afford them amusement for the next month.

They were all so busy that they did not notice the return of the tide;
but there is was, creeping slowly, surely, and silently in; and all at
once in came a fresh supply of water to the little pool, and showed our
visitors how soon it would be covered by the coming waters. And so they
had to retreat before the tide, like King Canute is said to have done,
years ago. They took all their treasures to the car; and then set to
work to unpack the basket which Mamma had prepared for the trip. And,
oh, how they enjoyed that meal, sitting as they were upon the sands,
with the cloth spread between them! There never was such delicious cold
chicken before, nor yet such ham, such currant and raspberry and cherry
tart, such a bottle of cream, that wouldn't come out, it was s