i 2 6 MINUTE MARVELS OF NATURE 



spore-cases amongst its frondlets. And then again, 

 at Fig. 8 1, we have a wonderful photograph of a 

 capsule of another species just discharging its 

 crimson spores from its capsule. This calls to 

 mind the urn like vessels of the zoophytes which 

 we have previously examined. But the resem- 

 blance is only superficial, for it is seen that the 

 structure of the branches is not adapted for the 

 little wonder-working polypes. 



Now, perchance, some readers of this volume 

 may, on their holiday visit to the sea-shore, en- 

 deavour to seek some of these marvels of beauty 

 and minuteness that we have been considering. 

 In that case some very common forms would come 

 at once under their notice, perhaps testing their 

 ingenuity to discover whether they were animal- 

 plants or true sea-weeds. The reason for this 

 would be that they possess characteristic features of 

 both. Here, for instance, in Fig. 82 we have the 

 beautiful white stony and coralline appearance of 

 some of the zoophytes ; but, on the other hand, 

 there are no orifices for the polypes. The illus- 

 tration shows a greatly magnified and also a 

 natural-size representation of a portion of the 

 frond. Clusters of these little fronds, an inch or 

 so in length, form tufted masses of stony foliage, 

 and line the rocks, or often, like our zoophytes, 

 grow on old limpet or other shells. But if we 



