The Rock has taken on quite a wintry appearance. The vegetation on the more exposed portions has entirely disappeared under the influence of the heavy seas experienced during the greater part of this month. The acorn barnacles with which the higher parts were encrusted are following suit owing to the ravages of the white whelk; the terns have deserted us, and, to complete the prospect, on the morning of the 19th we had the first visit of our winter boarders, the eider duck. A chip of rock covered with acorn barnacles becomes an interesting object when placed in the aquarium. Each conical shell is packed as close as possible to its neighbour, apex upwards. The apex is open, and fitted with a lid composed of four shells. Under water these lid-shells are seen to separate, and a bunch of “fingers” set on a stalk are thrust out, make a clutch, and are withdrawn. The “fingers” have extremely fine hair-like processes fixed at right angles to them, the whole forming a sort of net through which the water is filtered and the minute food-forms retained. It is interesting to know that although now fixed immovably to the rock these animals began life as free swimmers, and, strange to say, closely resembled the young crab. Another object we had under observation at the same time was one of the sea anemones, named the dahlia wartlet. A fleshy-looking disc studded with pieces of broken shell and sand, it appeared anything but attractive; but seen in the aquarium, the connection with its floral namesake was at once apparent. Unfolding itself from an orifice in the centre, as one would “flype” a stocking, rows of beautiful coloured tentacles were disclosed. These tentacles have the property of adhering to any object they come in contact with, and contain within themselves some wonderful mechanism. Placing a fly on the extremity of one of the tentacles, it was immediately held fast. The whole of the tentacles then curled inwards, carrying the fly with them, thus clearly showing their function.