NATUEE AND OCCUREENCE 3 



sands, however, may not contain the Hving animal, 

 since they have probably drifted and floated on the 

 tide for some length of time. 



The shallow-water sands of the Grecian Archi- 

 pelago and the Levant often contain a large propor- 

 tion of foraminiferal shells ; and by taking a common 

 washing sponge, obtained from such a locality, in the 

 dry state before it has been used, and shaking it over 

 a sheet of paper, we may obtain a quantity of fine 



Fig. 1. — Foraminiferal Sand 

 FROM Tide -MARKS ON THE Shore 



AT LiTTLEHAMPTON, SuSSEX. 



X 26. Original. 



Fig. 2. — Sand from a Common 



Sponge, consisting of Fora- 

 MiNiFERA, Sponge Spicules, 

 Ostracoda, Shell Fragments, 

 AND Sand Grains. x 26. Ori- 

 (jinal. 



sand which, on examination with a lens or low-power 

 microscope, will often reveal countless shells of the 

 Foraminifera (fig. 2). 



In order to see these tiny creatures alive let us 

 take some fresh seaweed at low tide and place it in 

 a glass jar of sea-water. After a short space of time 

 the Foraminifera wall be seen moving over the inside 

 of the vessel, whither they have travelled from the 



u 2 



