274 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



found in myriads on the beach close to the margin 

 of the sea. These, during the ebb, each receding 

 wave leaves for a while uncovered, when they may 

 be seen leaping as they endeavour to find their 

 way to their native element, which threatens to 

 leave them high and dry upon the sand. Dr. 

 Paley, speaking of the happiness which such crea- 

 tures probably experience, thus describes the 

 movements of the young shrimp, and deduces 

 from them a lesson of Divine goodness : " Walk- 

 ing by the sea-side on a calm evening upon a 

 sandy shore and with an ebbing tide, I have fre- 

 quently remarked the appearance of a dark cloud, 

 or rather very thick mist hanging over the edge 

 of the water, to the height, perhaps, of half a yard, 

 and the breadth of two or three yards, stretching 

 along the coast, as far as the eye could reach, and 

 always retiring with the water. When this cloud 

 came to be examined, it proved to be nothing else 

 than so much space filled with young shrimps in 

 the act of bounding into the air from the shallow 

 margin of the water, or from the wet sand. If any 

 motion of a minute animal could express delight, 

 it was this ; if they had meant to make signs of 

 their happiness, they could not have done it more 

 intelligibly. Suppose then, what I have no doubt 

 of, each individual of this number to be in a state 

 of positive enjoyment, what a sum, collectively, 

 of gratification and pleasure, have we before our 

 view!" 



Besides the common lobster (Homarus vul- 

 garis) there are several varieties of this crusta- 



