184 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



ganised kinds, and beautiful compound Ascidiae. 

 On the flat surfaces of the leaves various patelli- 

 form shells, Trochi, uncovered Molluscs, and 

 Bivalves are attached. Innumerable Crustacea 

 frequent every part of the plant. On shaking 

 the great entangled roots, a pile of small fish, 

 shells, cuttle-fish, crabs of all orders, sea-eggs, 

 star-fish, beautiful Holothuria, some taking the 

 external form of the nudibranch Molluscs, Pla- 

 nariae, and crawling nereidous animals of a mul- 

 titude of forms all fall out together. I can only 

 compare those great aquatic forests of the southern 

 hemisphere with the terrestrial ones in the tropi- 

 cal regions. Yet if the latter should be destroyed 

 in any country, I do not believe nearly so many 

 species of animals would perish, as under similar 

 circumstances would happen with the kelp." 



" In the oceanic depths," says Humboldt, " far 

 exceeding the height of the loftiest mountain 

 chains, every stratum of water is animated with 

 polygastric sea-worms, Cyclidiae and Ophrydinse. 

 The waters swarm with countless hosts of small 

 luminiferous animalcules, mammaria of the order 

 Acalephse, Crustacea, Peridinea, and circling Ne- 

 reides, which when attracted to the surface by 

 peculiar meteorological conditions convert every 

 wave into a foaming band of flashing light." 



If we reflect upon the almost infinite numbers 

 and variety of marine animals from those of 

 microscopic size to the largest of the Crustacea, 

 and if to these we add the countless myriads of 

 various fishes, and especially the gregarious tribes, 



