SOME OTHER LITTLE SEA-CREATURES. 



HE creneral term " seaweed " is made 

 to include a great number of 

 living things which differ 

 widely from one another. In 

 the first place, it seems hardly 

 proper to call any of them 

 weeds, for by a weed we com- 

 monly mean a troublesome plant which grows 



where it should not. 



The sea-plants are neither troublesome nor out 



of place; so when we speak of them as w^eeds, we 



use that word simply to 



mean plant-life, without 



any thought of slight or 



reproach. 



And yet some things 



are classed among the 



seaweeds which are not 



plants at all, but are really 



animals. We surely ought 



to distinguish such as these 



from true sea-mosses. 



151 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 



The microscope and its 

 uses. 



Alternation of genera- 

 tions. 



Corals and coral islands. 



Precious coral. 



Gathering and prepar- 

 ing of connnon sponges. 



Why use ' ' new bottles' ' ? 



Means of defense for the 

 various animals of the 

 sea. 



