66 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



or near the floor of the sea, are found floating 

 at or near the surface. 



CONTRAST BETWEEN SHORE AND 

 OPEN SEA 



The shore waters pass gradually into the 

 open sea, and the surface zones pass gradually 

 into the dark, deep-water zones, but the haunt 

 which we call the open sea has well-marked 

 characters of its own. It is a place of spacious- 

 ness, freedom, and plenty. Let us contrast it 

 with the shore haunt. There are three great 

 differences, (i) The seashore is crowded, the 

 open sea is spacious ; there is room and to 

 spare for all. (2) The shore is very change- 

 ful, the open sea is much more uniform. The 

 differences between morning and noon, day and 

 night, summer and winter, are less marked in 

 the open sea than on the shore. The open sea 

 is not indeed a place of rest, for the pelagic 

 animals swim or drift unceasingly, and " know 

 no rest from birth till death." But even this 

 movement often makes things easier, for many 

 of them can sink or rise in the water, getting 

 out of the glare or the heat, or coming up to 

 where oxygen is most abundant. (3) On the 



