along the shore tempted us
to introduce. The "links" were famous in extent and variety of ground,
but the game, in spite of patronage in high quarters, did not become
popular. There were also recreations of a more intellectual kind:
archaeological visits to "British camps," or others of those Cymric
monuments, which were just then provoking Lord F. Hervey's
incomprehensible spleen; scientific rambles in quest of rare shells,
seaweeds, or the varieties of a new flora; and rambles, half-scientific,
half-predatory, along the woody cliffs of the Lery, whence adventurers
would return with news of a hawk's nest discovered, but not reached, or
the more substantial result of snakes, and such venomous "beasties,"
captured and brought home in a bag. The rocks under Borth Head were good
hunting-grounds, and supplied sea-monsters for an aquarium, which the
Headmaster built and presented to the school. One of the first prizes
was a small octopus, which his captor, having no other vessel handy,
brought home floating in his cap. In the aquarium, however, spite of
this good beginning, we have to record a failure. "The masters could
not, and the boys would not, attend to it; and our best octopus, after
coming to the top of the water, and spitting a last farewell at sundry
lookers-on, died; and with him died the attempt."

We are quoting from a letter of a correspondent to _The Times_, and we
cannot better conclude this part of the subject than by a graphic
paragraph from the same hand:

Again, there were the birds, many always on shore and marsh; but when
the herring-fry passed up the bay the birds positively possessed it.
There was a wilderness of glistening wings in the air, a restless bank
of floating feathers on the sea--a mile of wings and glancing foam of
life, with many a strange wild cry, giving the high notes to the deep
bass of the waves. How often from the marsh, or somewhere, dreamland
or ghostland, came the plaintive wail of the curlews; then the
dotterels would run and flit about the sands; and, not least, the
herons, measuring out their dominions with their lordly arch of wings
in leisurely pride of sovereignty, passed grandly on their way; or,
ever and anon, a thousand plover, as with one soul, would turn and
glance in the sun far away. All this was a new revelation to many
boys, whose sole ideas of birds had been sparrows, thrushes, perhaps,
and ducks at so much a coup