A LARGE TIDE-POOL. 39 



THE PRAWN. 



Beyond the chasm just described, we scramble 

 into another, and come to a far larger and lower 

 tide-pool, so low as to be separated from the sea 

 only at spring-tides. It is about twenty-five feet 

 long, and eight or ten wide, and is quite over- 

 shadowed by the dark rock, in a sort of cavern of 

 which it lies. The great oar-weeds and tangles 

 C Laminaria saccharina and digitata) have here room 

 to attain their full size ; and their rich brown fronds 

 wave to and fro, or lie motionless in the clear water 

 often supporting whole forests of tiny zoophytes, 

 such as Laomedea fjeniculata. All round the edges 

 of the pool, from the water-line downwards, grow in 

 luxuriance the large oval dark red fronds of the 

 dulse {Iridcea ediilis) and the more brilliant and 

 more elegant Delesseria sanfjiiinea, of which an 

 American Poet has said, — 



"The crimson-leaf of the dulse is seen 

 To blush like a banner bathed in slaughter ;" 



and other minor sea-weeds, mostly of the red class, 

 are found in fine condition, some in and some out of 

 the water. 



Large Prawns swim at freedom through this large 

 pool ; and a very pleasing sight it is to watch them 

 as they glide gracefully and equally along. The tail- 

 fans are widely dilated, rendering conspicuous the 

 •contrasted colours with which they are painted ; the 

 jaws are expanded, the feet hanging loosely beneath. 

 iS^ow one rises to the surface almost perpendicularly ; 



