BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. 123 



deep, we will briefly observe, that, besides serving 

 as articles of food to so many of the watery regions, 

 particularly to those of the Shell kind, which abound 

 chiefly among them, these afford, among their intri- 

 cate and perplexing labyrinths, a safe retreat for the 

 weak from the strong; a commodious lodgement for 

 a variety of shell fish, and convenient recesses for 

 numbers of the finny tribes to betake themselves to, 

 for the purpose of depositing their spawn ; and to 

 those who make usa of their leaves on the occasion, 

 these plants seem to be admirably adapted to the 

 glary matter which covers their substance, not only 

 preventing the eggs from being easily washed off be- 

 fore they are hatched, but affording, in all likelihood, 

 an immediate supply of nutricious food for the young, 

 before they are fitted for any thing more gross ; and 

 this may be the reason, as well as the safety which 

 their concealment insures, why so many of the weak 

 and smaller fry are found among them. 



These few specimens may serve to show in what 

 respects sea vegetables may be of use in the econo- 

 my of nature ; and we will just notice two or three 

 of the many instances in which they may be said 

 more directly to contribute to the service of man. 



The utility of the Sponge, (an article which takes 

 its rise from those rocky beds,) in several of our most 

 useful arts and manufactures, is well known. The 

 sea weed, made into kelp, forms a principal ingre- 

 dient in the composition of soap and glass; and is 

 found o> our rocks and shores in great abundance. 

 After being spread out and dried in the summer 



