146 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



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 fundamental as the immense number of 

 simple plants that float in the surface-waters 



MUD AND 

 MANURE 



IN INFUSORIA 



FISHERMAN 



FISH. 



TROUT 



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 incarna- 

 tion is in Man. 



the 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 economy of the pond or lake mainly 

 depends. 



