SHORE AND SALT-MARSH 



327 



Then, as the sea-poppy fades on the shingle-banks, the sea- 

 lavender comes into bloom on the marshes outside the wall, 

 occasionally flooded by the tide. Sea-asters dapple the mud- 

 flats a little nearer the water with their rayed blossoms ; the 

 sea-aster grows so close to the water that its yellow and 

 purple flowers are often submerged by a spring tide, and 

 stained with a grey film of mud. The debatable land of the 



SEA-POPPY 



salt-marsh is seamed with a network of tidal channels, half 

 hidden by prostrate masses of dull green sea-blite ; even at 

 low-water it is impossible to penetrate far into this wilder- 

 ness without a wetting, and the sheldrake and curlew can 

 lurk unseen for the whole interval between tide and tide. 

 Then, when the tide comes back, the marsh is often unap- 

 proachable in any way ; for many of the channels are too 

 small to push a boat along, and so numerous that it is impos- 

 sible to travel more than a few feet safely on dry land. 

 Swimming-birds ride in safety among the wider channels, or 



