’! j.'
I’ ,
-or the contents of the basket which provided for our
wants.
But I must not dismiss Herm and its shells, with so
very slight a notice. In a little book,—a guide to
Guernsey,—lately published, I find an enumeration of
the shells found in Herm; and having ascertained that
the enumeration has been furnished by a competent
conchologist, I shall extract it. “ The divisions of the
order testacea, in these islands, extend to upwards of
forty genera, embracing upwards of two hundred
varieties. In multivalves, we have fine specimens
of the chiton, the lepas, the pholas. In bivalves, the
islands are rich in the mya, or trough shell; the solen,
razor sheath, or knife handle; the tellena, or te len ;
the carduum, cockle, or heart shell; the mactra, or
kneading trough; the donax, or wedge shell; the
venus; the spondylus, thorny oyster, or artichoke;
the chama; clamp, or gaper; the area; the anomia,
or antique lamp; the mytilus, the pinna, fin shell, or
sea wing, &c.
“ The univalve are still more abundant. W e have
great varieties of the conns: the cyprae, or coury;
of the bulla; the voluta; buccinum; strombus;
winged, or claw shell; the trochus; the turbo, or
wreath; the nerita; the haliotis; the dentalium; the
murex, &c.
W e have little less than forty species of sponges,
among which may be found, the spongea occulata;
the spongea tormentosa; the spongea coronata; the
spongea botrycides ; the spongea lacustris, &c.”
The island of Herm is also rich in corals and corallines
; and there are also rare specimens of diminutive
lobsters, cray fish, spider crab, &c.
HERM. 3‘25
I am myself no conchologist; but learning from
competent judges, that the little island of Herm is
richer in shells, than all the shores of all the rest
of the British islands, and that the shells found there,
may be considered miniatures of the shells found
in most other parts of the world, I thought it my
duty to make the above enumeration, for the sake of
the conchologist who may read these pages; and
who may find so much gratification in a visit to
Herm.
I am told however, that without visiting Herm,
the amateur collector may gratify his taste in Guernsey,
by using his purse, in place of his spade; for
both in the market, and in other parts of St. Peter’s
Port, shells are exposed for sale, and may be purchased
for a trifle.
The scenery of Herm is no way remarkable. The
island is too small to admit of valleys; there is scarcely
any wood; and the cliffs, are not in general to be
compared with those of the adjacent islands.
Unless to those who can pleasantly dream away an
hour on a shell beach, the attractions of Herm will
scarcely repay a visit.