Jan 3rd The Fall of Jericho , part 1, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p110.
Jan 10th My religion is to love everybody , published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p110.
Jan 17th The Fall of Jericho , part 2, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p110.
Jan 24th The antediluvian patriarchs , published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
Jan 29th Arrived Torquay Railway Station. Board stagecoach bound north for Babbacombe and St Marychurch. Alight upon arrival at St Marychurch; take lodgings at Bank Cottage, with Miss Campbell and Miss Johnson. Life. p236. Census 1851.
Jan 30th Reconnoitred Babbicombe Beach . Discover pretty pool on ledges below the cliff face at northern end of beach. Collected anemones of a species new to me from the pool. Rambles p5.
Feb 3rd Investigated Petit Tor Cove. Spoke to gentleman fishing for Pollock off the large rock at northern end of beach, also discover large specimen of Pachymatisma Johnstonia under overhang of large rock. Moved to southern end of beach, examined small rock pools on ledges of Petit Tor adjoining beach, many common anemones of the beadlet variety. Rambles p6.
Feb 12th Arrive Ilfracombe. Captain Harding, a retired Master Mariner aged 61, met me from the coach, and insisted that I lodge with him and his sister in their home. Unfortunately London House is situated in the High Street next to the the Star Inn. Wrote letter to Emily, explained I am staying with kind, worthy people, established in grace and living to God. CUL.
Feb 13th Post letter to Emily. CUL.
Feb 18th Visit Babbicombe Beach at extremely low tide, collect a number of naked gilled Mollusca from under stones; brought home for further study in pans, Eolis Papillosa, Doris bilamellata, Polycera ocellata and Eolis coronata . Also found Anthea cereus under large stone. Rambles p11.
Feb 20th Submitted proof copy Assyria to G.L.C of S.P.C.K. Bib.
Feb 22nd The Doris bilamenllata has laid a ribbon of spawn, attached to the pan just below the waters surface. Rambles p13.
Feb 23rd Study Anthea cereus (found under stone at low water mark). I have kept it in my vivarium, a fine specimen with a beautiful appearance. Rambles p15.
March 13th The Master Key , part 1, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
March 19th Cut off and examined a portion of the ribbon of Doris spawn beneath my microscope. Young are fully formed embryos, each enclosed in a globular egg, perfectly transparent and colourless. Rambles p14.
March 20th The Master Key , part 2, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
March 21st Embryos within Doris spawn are doubtless dead. Remained active beneath the microscope for several days but did not appear to increase in development, nor did any hatch. Rambles p15.
March 27th The serpent in the wilderness, published in Weekly visitor. Bib p111.
March Reconnoitre to Brixham. Walked into Torquay and took omnibus to Brixham to investigate possible settlement in area. Though the town looks pretty enough viewed from Torquay, it is but a sordid affair when you see it at hand. Rambles p46.
April 3rd The Master Key , part 3, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
April 6th Today is my 41st birthday. Visited Anstey's Cove; collected a number of specimens for further study at home. These included the squat lobsters Galathea rugosa and a fine Gal. strigosal . Many other creatures were available including the Doris . Rambles p69/71.
April 10th Jesus at Jericho , published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p111.
April 15th Received letter from Emily, misses my company. Answered Emily's letter. CUL.
April 20th Petit Tor, discovered two anemones which I think are new, if this is so, I will name them rosea and nivea . Life p239.
April 23rd Found curious Anthea cereus in rock pool at Petit Tor. Its body and oral disk are very light pellucid olive, but the tentacles are spotless snowy white. Set in glass vessel, it now hangs off the side with long slender tentacles arching downward in graceful curve. Rambles p18.
May 1st Arrived at Ilfracombe. Take lodgings with Mrs Williams of Northfield ; my study looks out towards the public baths and some pretty villas, beyond them are the rich green fields of the Runcleaves sloping up to the cliff edge. What a charming and beautiful place this is. Rambles p101. The Master Key , part 4, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
May 3rd Visit beach past Small Mouth and collect specimens. Set up glass vase 10 inches deep, 5 ½ inches wide, holding about 3 pints of water and some marine animals. Rambles p231.
May 8th The fowls of the air , part 1, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p111.
May 12th Rosy anemone, noticed several of the tentacles contain white seminal filaments coiled up throughout their length. On being cut off and examined beneath the microscope, are seen to be covered with very minute but close-set hairs. Rambles p92.
May 16th A very clean and beautiful specimen of Laomedea gelatinosa affords me an excellent example of the structure of a Serularian polype for detailed examination. Rambles p148.
May 21st Cooked actinia crassicornis for tea. I invited Mrs Gosse to share in the feast, but she declined, my little boy however voted that “tinny was good” and demanded more. Rambles p152.
May 22nd Visited Water Mouth and Small Mouth, captured black lugworm, Arenicola , an uncouth creature, of a deep black hue, or rather what a tailor would call “invisible green”. Rambles p171.
June 5th The Master Key , part 5, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
June 7th Visited Lee, captured worm pipefish, it has some damage to its tail fin. Rambles p222.
June 11th Detached a minute atom of a red colour swimming rapidly in gyrations in the water in which were fragments of polypiferous rock. I caught it with a tube and examined it. Rambles p191.
June 12th The Master Key , part 6, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
June 13th The fowls of the air , part 2, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p111.
June 1th Red atom now a week old, no material alteration from first record. In a glass jar containing actinia that I brought from Torquay, I found on the Membranipora , a very young specimen of Polycera 4-lineata, about 1/8 inch long; very interesting. Rambles p222.
June 21st At Hele, in a dark tide-pool between overhanging rocks, I gathered a frond of Nitophyllum laceratum on which were several patches of a pretty zoophyte. Rambles p227.
June 23rd Had pipefish nearly 3 weeks, the terminal portion of the tail, has grown considerably; the bladder like tumour beneath the throat has increased. Rambles p183.
June 24th Examined vase containing Anguinaria ; with its membranous sheath of the polyp extruded it closely resembles that of Eucratea . Have made a detailed illustration. Rambles p142/3.
June 26th The fowls of the air , final part published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p111.
June 28th Examined glass vase set up on May 3 rd, all of its creatures survive; have only replaced the water that has evaporated. Rambles p231.
July 1st Actinia gemmacea and cup-coral collected on first visit to Small Mouth still survive. Rambles p110. Leave Ilfracombe to visit Lundy with Edmund Bowes. (Record of this visit is published in Home and Friend in 1853 and in Land & Sea p4.)
July 6th I found my pet (pipe fish) dead, on my return after a week's absence from home; it had apparently been dead about three or four days' so that it has lived in captivity rather more than four weeks. Rambles p184.
July 7th Water has turned offensive in vase. End of experiment. Annals No. 58.
July 14th Part 1, Letter from Alabama, published in Home Friend, pp39-52.
July 17th The Master Key , part 7, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
July 31st The Master Key , part 8, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
Aug 2nd Visit Water Mouth & Small Mouth to see the perforations and caverns of the latter place. Rambles p292.
Aug 13th Concluded observations and notes on the noctiluca . Rambles p256.
Aug 14th Examine parasitic Plumularia on back of crab shell, examination adds little to my knowledge of this curious zoophyte. Rambles p143. Find spider crab sloughing, make detailed notes for submission to Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Rambles p311. Submit paper to Zoologist on capture of Sunfish at Ilfracombe. Examine Lobster-horn coralline. Rambles p313. The Master Key , part 9, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
Aug 19th Selected Medusae from vase for inspection. Rambles p316.
Aug 20th Observed Medusae selected yesterday, nothing has changed. Rambles p317.
Aug 21st The Medusae is budding. Rambles p316. The Master Key , part 10, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111.
Aug 23rd The Medusae budding tubes have increased in length but not in diameter. Rambles p318.
Aug 26th In a large glass jar containing seaweeds and many kinds of zoophytes alive I found a single medusoid resembling the Laomedea geniculata . Rambles p331. Multitude of Infusoria swarming in vase. Rambles p318. Wrote to Emily, I hope soon to come back. CUL.
Aug 28th Medusa fishing at Wigmouth, found Medusa Turris neglecta in pools and in harbour. The open sea could not be dipped without bringing in one or more of these “beads of coral” Rambles p349. Medusae is decomposing upon release of Infusoria. Rambles p319.
Sept 1st On the sloughing of the spider-crab(Maia squinado) , published in Annals. No. 57.
Sept 4th Notice ruby medusa lying at the bottom of the phial. R. Mount Tabor , part 1, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p112.
Sept 6th Caught first Corynetes at Warphouse Point. Rambles.
Sept 7th Heavy breeze all night and this morning from the north east which had set a good deal of sea in upon the shore, took jars and nets to tunnel rocks, more in sake of a walk than expectation. Found large Medusae lying motionless upon floating weed. Rambles p343.
Sept 8th In the clear quiet water of the bathing pool I dipped this afternoon many Medusae, almost all of these two species, Thaumantias pilosella . Rambles p359.
Sept 10th Submitted paper to Annals; On keeping marine animals and plants alive in unchanged sea-water . No. 58.
Sept 11th The Master Key , part 11, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p111.
Sept 14th Rock pooling at tunnels at low water, found a magnificent species of Chrysaora , which, though not new, appears to be rare on the British coast. Rambles p364.
Sept 16th Extreme low tide at tunnels. I discovered today a very distinct species of Madrepore , one of great beauty. Rambles p399. Obtained a species of Pelagia in bathing pool near the same spot as the Chrysaora . Rambles p378.
Sept 21st Dear Willy (Edmund) is 3 today.
Sept 25th Dipping at the Tunnels. Rambles p409. The Chrysaora, captured about a week ago, although still living, now swims upside down in the vase. Rambles p372.
Sept 27th Devon cup-coral vessel, new specimen from old, the proper disk has retained full vigour and beauty, so that here is a Madrepore with a head at each extremity. Rambles p120. Turning stones at low water on the outside of harbour, found an Annelide Polynoe impar, appears to be rare. Rambles p391.
Oct 1st On keeping marine animals and plants alive in unchanged sea-water, published in Annals. No.58.
Oct 2nd Examined ovaries of the Chrysaora . Rambles p375.
Oct 6th Dipping at Warphouse Point, sunny afternoon with strong winds and heavy sea. Caught a Turris neglecta . Rambles p410. Seaside Pleasures part 1 published in Home Friend, pp31-320.
Oct 9th Mount Tabor , part 2, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p112.
Oct 12th Find feather worm in overhanging ridge at Hele. Rambles p416.
Oct 13th Feather worms from Ilfracombe Harbour (taken to London , Rambles 421). Rambles p419. Mount Tabor , final part published in Weekly Visitor. Bib p112.
Oct 16th Visit Rocks at Cheyne Beach and discover actinia, similar to Cocks Actinia alba . Need to investigate further. Rambles p430.
Oct 30th The Master Key , part 12, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111. Submitted paper to Microscopical Society on Notommata parasita , a rotiferous animal. Paper on temperate seawater aquarium published in Annals .Contact Mr Robert Warington regarding his aquarium experiments (result of paper being published ?).
Nov 10th Today is Emily's 46th Birthday.
Nov 23rd Today is our 4th Wedding anniversary.
Nov Leave Ilfracombe and take up lodgings at 16, Hampton Terrace, Camden Town , London . Submitted plan to supply living specimens for Zoological Society Aquarium. Life p249.
Nov 27th The Master Key , part 13, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111. Seaside Pleasures part 2 published in Home Friend, pp385-394.
Dec 1st Seaside Pleasures part 3 published in Home Friend, pp520-525.
Dec 2nd Visit Mr Robert Warington to see his aquarium. R 234. Contacted Mr D. Mitchell, Secretary of the Zoological Society. Aquarium p3.
Dec 8th Seaside Pleasures part 3 cont. published in Home Friend, pp538-542.
Dec 11th The Master Key , part 14, published in Weekly Visitor. Bib: p111. Paper on Notommata parasita read. Transactions of the Microscopical Society.
Dec 15th Seaside Pleasures part 3 cont. published in Home Friend, pp553-558.

Reference. Rambles;  A Naturalist's Rambles on the Devonshire Coast . P.H. Gosse. 1853.
Aquarium; The Aquarium: an unveiling of the wonders of the deep. P.H. Gosse. 1854. Act Brit; Actinologia Britannica. P.H. Gosse. 1860. Annals; Annals & Magazine of Natural History. 1852-1856. 2 nd Series Vols. 9-18. Zoo; The Zoologist. 1852-1856. Vols. 6-13. Life; The Life of Philip Henry Gosse, F.R.S. Edmund Gosse. 1890. Mem; A memorial of the last days on earth of Emily Gosse. P.H. Gosse. 1857. EUL.; Edinburgh University Library. CUL; Cambridge University Library. Leeds; Brotherton Collection, Leeds University Library. Bib.; P. H. Gosse; a bibliography. R. B. Freeman & Douglas Wertheimer. 1980.