MUDBANKS COLONIZED 



Imagine an orchard of very old apple trees in winter, and 

 suppose that one were to cut off every tree and plant it 

 upside down in black mud, and also to crowd them so closely 

 together that the branches were all mixed and confused. 

 This may give an idea of the odd and strange appearance 

 of the root-system in a mangrove forest. Upon these arching 

 roots, even on those which are not yet attached, multitudes 

 of oysters may be seen. There is also a little fish (a sort of 

 perch) which climbs up on to the roots or out of the mud 

 below, and gasps or squatters about in it. 



As to the mud itself, it is a horrible, greasy, oozy, black or 

 blue-black slime of bottomless depth. " It is full of organic, 

 putrefying, strongly-smelling material, clearly full of bacteria. 

 The water itself is sometimes covered by a dirty, oily scum, 

 and air-bubbles rising from the bottom, spread out on the 

 surface and let loose their microbes in the atmosphere."^ 

 There are many crocodiles, which may be seen reposing on 

 the mud above high tide. It is difficult to distinguish them 

 from a rough log of wood, but it is still more difficult to kill 

 them, for their scales turn any ordinary bullet. There is 

 scarcely any experience more exasperating than when, after 

 one has taken a long, careful, and accurate aim, one observes 

 the sleeping brute suddenly wake and scurry down into the 

 water with a hideous leer on its face. Sea-cows or manatees 

 are said to live in these creeks. Little ducks of many kinds 

 rise in hundreds and thousands, but the commonest bird is 

 the "curlew'' (either a whimbrel or closely allied to it). 

 During the day they sift the mud with their long curved 

 beaks for insects, and at sunset fly down in vast numbers to 

 the mudbanks near the sea. A miserable little white crane 

 called " Poor Joe *" is common, and has the same habit. It 



^ Warming, Lehrbuch der (Ecol Pfi. Qeog. 

 158 



