SECRETS OF THE OCEAN 161 



trembles in the balance between the higher back- 

 boned animals and the lower division, where are 

 classified the humbler insects, crabs, and snails. 

 The young of Boltenia promises everything in its 

 tiny backbone or notochord, but it all ends in 

 promise, for that shadow of a great ambition 

 withers away, and the creature is doomed to a 

 lowly and vegetative life. If we soften the hard 

 scientific facts which tell us of these dumb, blind 

 creatures, with the humane mellowing thought of 

 the oneness of all life, we will find much that is 

 pathetic and affecting in their humble biographies 

 from our point of view. And yet these cases of 

 degeneration are far from anything like actual 

 misfortunes, or mishaps of nature, as Buffon was 

 so fond of thinking. These creatures have found 

 their adult mode of life more free from competi- 

 tion than any other, and hence their adoption of 

 it. It is only another instance of exquisite adapta- 

 tion to an unfilled niche in the life of the world. 



Yet another phase of enjoying the life of these 

 northern waters; the one which comes after all 

 the work and play of collecting is over for the 

 day, after the last specimen is given a fresh sup- 

 ply of water for the night, and the final note in our 

 journal is written. Then, as dusk falls, we make 

 our way to the beach, ship our rudder and oars 

 and push slowly along shore, or drift quietly with 

 the tide. The stars may come out in clear splen- 

 dour and the visual symphony of the northern 



