the　other　side　of　the　lake；　as　a　glacier　of　the　second　order；　which
  ends　in　an　ice…cliff　hanging　high　up　on　the　mountain　side；　and　kept
  from　further　progress　by　daily　melting。　　If　you　have　ever　gone　up
  the　Mer　de　Glace　to　the　Tacul；　you　saw　a　magnificent　specimen　of
  this　sort　on　your　right　hand；　just　opposite　the　Tacul；　in　the
  Glacier　de　Trelaporte；　which　comes　down　from　the　Aiguille　de
  Charmoz。
  This　explains　our　pebble…ridge。　　The　stones　which　the　glacier
  rubbed　off　the　cliff　beneath　it　it　carried　forward；　slowly　but
  surely；　till　they　saw　the　light　again　in　the　face　of　the　ice…cliff；
  and　dropped　out　of　it　under　the　melting　of　the　summer　sun；　to　form
  a　huge　dam　across　the　ravine；　till；　the　〃Ice　age〃　past；　a　more
  genial　climate　succeeded；　and　neve　and　glacier　melted　away：　　but
  the　〃moraine〃　of　stones　did　not；　and　remains　to　this　day；　as　the
  dam　which　keeps　up　the　waters　of　the　lake。
  There　is　my　explanation。　　If　you　can　find　a　better；　do：　　but
  remember　always　that　it　must　include　an　answer　to　…　〃How　did　the
  stones　get　across　the　lake？〃
  Now；　reader；　we　have　had　no　abstruse　science　here；　no　long　words；
  not　even　a　microscope　or　a　book：　　and　yet　we；　as　two　plain
  sportsmen；　have　gone　back；　or　been　led　back　by　fact　and　common
  sense；　into　the　most　awful　and　sublime　depths；　into　an　epos　of　the
  destruction　and　re…creation　of　a　former　world。
  This　is　but　a　single　instance；　I　might　give　hundreds。　　This　one；
  nevertheless；　may　have　some　effect　in　awakening　you　to　the
  boundless　world　of　wonders　which　is　all　around　you；　and　make　you
  ask　yourself　seriously；　〃What　branch　of　Natural　History　shall　I
  begin　to　investigate；　if　it　be　but　for　a　few　weeks；　this　summer？〃
  To　which　I　answer；　Try　〃the　Wonders　of　the　Shore。〃　　There　are　along
  every　sea…beach　more　strange　things　to　be　seen；　and　those　to　be
  seen　easily；　than　in　any　other　field　of　observation　which　you　will
  find　in　these　islands。　　And　on　the　shore　only　will　you　have　the
  enjoyment　of　finding　new　species；　of　adding　your　mite　to　the
  treasures　of　science。
  For　not　only　the　English　ferns；　but　the　natural　history　of　all　our
  land　species；　are　now　well…nigh　exhausted。　　Our　home　botanists　and
  ornithologists　are　spending　their　time　now；　perforce；　in　verifying
  a　few　obscure　species；　and　bemoaning　themselves；　like　Alexander；
  that　there　are　no　more　worlds　left　to　conquer。　　For　the　geologist；
  indeed；　and　the　entomologist；　especially　in　the　remoter　districts；
  much　remains　to　be　done；　but　only　at　a　heavy　outlay　of　time；
  labour；　and　study；　and　the　dilettante　（and　it　is　for　dilettanti；
  like　myself；　that　I　principally　write）　must　be　content　to　tread　in
  the　tracks　of　greater　men　who　have　preceded　him；　and　accept　at
  second　or　third　hand　their　foregone　conclusions。
  But　this　is　most　unsatisfactory；　for　in　giving　up　discovery；　one
  gives　up　one　of　the　highest　enjoyments　of　Natural　History。　　There
  is　a　mysterious　delight　in　the　discovery　of　a　new　species；　akin　to
  that　of　seeing　for　the　first　time；　in　their　native　haunts；　plants
  or　animals　of　which　one　has　till　then　only　read。　　Some；　surely；　who
  read　these　pages　have　experienced　that　latter　delight；　and；　though
  they　might　find　it　hard　to　define　whence　the　pleasure　arose；　know
  well　that　it　was　a　solid　pleasure；　the　memory　of　which　they　would
  not　give　up　for　hard　cash。　　Some；　surely；　can　recollect；　at　their
  first　sight　of　the　Alpine　Soldanella；　the　Rhododendron；　or　the
  black　Orchis；　growing　upon　the　edge　of　the　eternal　snow；　a　thrill
  of　emotion　not　unmixed　with　awe；　a　sense　that　they　were；　as　it
  were；　brought　face　to　face　with　the　creatures　of　another　world；
  that　Nature　was　independent　of　them；　not　merely　they　of　her；　that
  trees　were　not　merely　made　to　build　their　houses；　or　herbs　to　feed
  their　cattle；　as　they　looked　on　those　wild　gardens　amid　the　wreaths
  of　the　untrodden　snow；　which　had　lifted　their　gay　flowers　to　the
  sun　year　after　year　since　the　foundation　of　the　world；　taking　no
  heed　of　man；　and　all　the　coil　which　he　keeps　in　the　valleys　far
  below。
  And　even；　to　take　a　simpler　instance；　there　are　those　who　will
  excuse；　or　even　approve　of；　a　writer　for　saying　that；　among　the
  memories　of　a　month's　eventful　tour；　those　which　stand　out　as
  beacon…points；　those　round　which　all　the　others　group　themselves；
  are　the　first　wolf…track　by　the　road…side　in　the　Kyllwald；　the
  first　sight　of　the　blue　and　green　Roller…birds；　walking　behind　the
  plough　like　rooks　in　the　tobacco…fields　of　Wittlich；　the　first　ball
  of　Olivine　scraped　out　of　the　volcanic　slag…heaps　of　the　Dreisser…
  Weiher；　the　first　pair　of　the　Lesser　Bustard　flushed　upon　the　downs
  of　the　Mosel…kopf；　the　first　sight　of　the　cloud　of　white　Ephemerae；
  fluttering　in　the　dusk　like　a　summer　snowstorm　between　us　and　the
  black　cliffs　of　the　Rheinstein；　while　the　broad　Rhine　beneath
  flashed　blood…red　in　the　blaze　of　the　lightning　and　the　fires　of
  the　Mausenthurm　…　a　lurid　Acheron　above　which　seemed　to　hover　ten
  thousand　unburied　ghosts；　and　last；　but　not　least；　on　the　lip　of
  the　vast　Mosel…kopf　crater　…　just　above　the　point　where　the　weight
  of　the　fiery　lake　has　burst　the　side　of　the　great　slag…cup；　and
  rushed　forth　between　two　cliffs　of　clink…stone　across　the　downs；　in
  a　clanging　stream　of　fire；　damming　up　rivulets；　and　blasting　its
  path　through　forests；　far　away　toward　the　valley　of　the　Moselle　…
  the　sight　of　an　object　for　which　was　forgotten　for　the　moment　that
  battle…field　of　the　Titans　at　our　feet；　and　the　glorious　panorama；
  Hundsruck　and　Taunus；　Siebengebirge　and　Ardennes；　and　all　the
  crater　peaks　around；　and　which　was　…　smile　not；　reader　…　our　first
  yellow　foxglove。
  But　what　is　even　this　to　the　delight　of　finding　a　new　species？　…　of
  rescuing　（as　it　seems　to　you）　one　more　thought　of　the　Divine　mind
  from　Hela；　and　the　realms　of　the　unknown；　unclassified；
  uncomprehended？　　As　it　seems　to　you：　　though　in　reality　it　only
  seems　so；　in　a　world　wherein　not　a　sparrow　falls　to　the　ground
  unnoticed　by　our　Father　who　is　in　heaven。
  The　truth　is；　the　pleasure　of　finding　new　species　is　too　great；　it
  is　morally　dangerous；　for　it　brings　with　it　the　temptation　to　look
  on　the　thing　found　as　your　own　possession；　all　but　your　own
  creation；　to　pride　yourself　on　it；　as　if　God　had　not　known　it　for
  ages　since；　even　to　squabble　jealously　for　the　right　of　having　it
  named　after　you；　and　of　being　recorded　in　the　Transactions　of　I…
  know…not…what　Society　as　its　first　discoverer：…　as　if　all　the
  angels　in　heaven　had　not　been　admiring　it；　long　before　you　were
  born　or　thought　of。
  But　to　be　forewarned　is　to　be　forearmed；　and　I　seriously　counsel
  you　to　try　if　you　cannot　find　something　new　this　summer　along　the
  coast　to　which　you　are　going。　　There　is　no　reason　why　you　should
  not　be　so　successful　as　a　friend　of　mine　who；　with　a　very　slight
  smattering　of　science；　and　very　desultory　research；　obtained　in　one
  winter　from　the　Torbay　shores　three　entirely　new　species；　beside
  several　rare　animals　which　had　escaped　all　naturalists　since　the
  lynx…eye　of　Colonel　Montagu　discerned　them　forty　years　ago。
  And　do　not　despise　the　creatures　because　they　are　minute。　　No　doubt
  we　should　most　of　us　prefer　discovering　monstrous　apes　in　the
  tropical　forests　of　Borneo；　or　stumbling　upon　herds　of　gigantic
  Ammon　sheep　amid　the　rhododendron　thickets　of　the　Himalaya：　　but　it
  cannot　be；　and　〃he　is　a　fool；〃　says　old　Hesiod；　〃who　knows　not　how
  much　better　half　is　than　the　whole。〃　　Let　us　be　content　with　what
  is　within　our　reach。　　And　doubt　not　that　in　these　tiny　creatures
  are　mysteries　more　than　we　shall　ever　fathom。
  The　zoophytes　and　microscopic　animalcules　which　people　every　shore
  and　every　drop　of　water；　have　been　now　raised　to　a　rank　in　the
  human　mind　more　important；　perhaps；　than　even　those　gigantic
  monsters　whose　models　fill　the　lake　at　the　Crystal　Palace。　　The
  research　which　has　been　bestowed；　for　the　last　century；　upon　these
  once　unnoticed　atomies　has　well　repaid　itself；　for　from　no　branch
  of　physical　science　has　more　been　learnt　of　the　SCIENTIA
  SCIENTIARUM；　the　priceless　art　of　learning；　no　branch　of　science
  has　more　utterly　confounded　a　wisdom　of　the　wise；　shattered　to
  pieces　systems　and　theories；　and　the　idolatry　of　arbitrary　names；
  and　taught　man　to　be　silent　while　his　Maker　speaks；　than　this
  apparent　pedantry　of　zoophytology；　in　which　our　old　distinctions　of
  〃animal；〃　〃vegetable；〃　and　〃mineral〃　are　trembling　in　the　balance；
  seemingly　ready　to　vanish　like　their　fellows　…　〃the　four　elements〃
  of　fire；　earth；　air；　and　water。　　No　branch　of　science　has　helped　so
  much　to　sweep　away　that　sensuous　idolatry　of　mere　size；　which
  tempts　man　to　admire　and　respect　objects　in　proportion　to　the
  number　of　feet　or　inches　which　they　occupy　in　space。　　No　branch　of
  science；　moreover；　has　been　more　humbling　to　the　boasted　rapidity