80 INTllODrCTION. 



means of its abdominal foot with its back often undermost, 

 it has a resemblance so far to the Sloth of the forests of 

 South America. Towards the root of our Sea-weeds we 

 find sponges of small size and curious forms ; and here we 

 arrive at a region of still greater activity : we shall probably 

 detect sea-stars and sea-urchins, and amidst them many 

 restless isopode crustaceans ; and probably many kinds of 

 articulated worms. Even the sandy matter mingled with 

 the roots is not to be neglected. It must be carefully col- 

 lected and examined by the microscope, when we shall not 

 fail to discover many beautiful polythalamous shells, and a 

 rich supply of still more strange Infusorial 



There is yet another advantage arising from the study of 

 Algology, and indeed of Natural Science in general, which 

 it would be unpardonable to omit. It is of great import- 

 ance that the young in particular, should be armed against 

 the artifices of those wlio, by a plausible mixture of facts 

 and fiction, try to sap tlie foundation of our holy faith, and 

 too often succeed in throwing stumbling-blocks in the way 

 of tlie unwary. Eehgion has nothing to fear from facts, but 

 it rejects fiction, and it is well to be able to separate the 

 chaff from the wlieat. By their theory of development, — 

 provided you unwittingly swallow all their pretended facts. 



