THE ATONDERS OF THE SHORE. 153 



and crannies, he carries with him such an 

 apparatus of combs and brushes as Isidor or 

 Floris never dreamed of; Avith which he sweeps 

 out of the sea-water at every moment shoals of 

 minute animalcules, and sucks them into his tiny- 

 mouth. Mr. Gosse will tell you more of this 

 marvel, in his Aquarium, p. 48. 



lisext, your sea-weeds, if they thrive as they 

 ought to do, will sow their minute spores in 

 millions around them ; and these, as they vege- 

 tate, will form a green film on the inside of the 

 glass, spoiling your prospect ; you may rub it off 

 for yourself, if you will, with a rag fastened to 

 a stick, but if you wish at once to save yourself 

 trouble, and to see how all emergencies in nature 

 are provided for, you will set three or four live 

 shells to do it for you, and to keep your sub- 

 aqueous lawn close mown. 



That last word is no figure of speech. Look 

 among the beds of sea-weed for a few of the 

 bright yellow or green sea-snails (Nerita), or 

 Conical Tops {Trorhns), especially (hat beautiful 

 pink one spotted willi brown (Zizip/iinus), 

 which you are sure to find about s-baded rock- 

 ledges at dead low tide, and put tliem into your 

 aquarium. For the present, they will only 



