32 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



Church, has pictured three great chapters in 

 the history of plant-life. 



(I.) After the earth had greatly cooled down, 

 the condensation of the water vapour formed a 

 great sea covering the whole surface of the 

 earth. In this sea there lived minute single- 

 celled or bodiless green plants, each sufficient 

 unto itself. Some of these Plankton plants 

 were the ancestors of those which now abound 

 near the surface of the Open Sea. 



(II.) By and by the buckling of the sea- 

 covered earth's crust brought part of it within 

 reach of the light, and supplied an illumined 

 sea-floor on which plants could fix themselves 

 and grow big. This was the beginning of the 

 shore vegetation, the beginning of a substratum, 

 the beginning of what we ordinarily call sea- 

 weeds. And as they were fixed creatures, it 

 was necessary for them to show, not only 

 means of self-preservation, but means of dis- 

 persal, ways of continuing their kind. Some 

 of the free-swimming plants that settled down 

 grew long threads, others spread out into 

 fronds, others forked and branched like the 

 most beautiful lace. Ages passed, and there 

 was a great race of seaweeds. Some of those 

 now living are a hundred feet long. 



