146 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



roots, float freely. Now there are animals that 

 browse on these plants, and other animals that 

 thrive on the broken-down fragments of these 

 plants, when they decay. But important as 

 these big plants are, they are not so funda- 

 mental as the immense number of simple 

 plants that float in the surface-waters the 



FIG. 13. BLACKBOARD DRAWING OF CIRCULATION OF 



MATTER. 



Bacteria break down the Mud and Manure; the results 

 and the Bacteria are eaten by Infusorians; these are 

 devoured by Water-fleas, and these by Fishes, and 

 a higher incarnation is in Man. 



fresh-water Algae. These often make the water 

 like green soup ; and there are often far more 

 of them in a pitcher than we can see of stars 

 on a frosty night. It is on them that the econ- 

 omy of the pond or lake mainly depends. 



