240 Life in the Open 



creature had been under my eye all the time, but had 

 escaped careful scrutiny. I have examined dozens of 

 them through a water-box or glass-bottom boat, and in 

 every instance they were holding themselves in some 

 peculiar position which made it almost impossible to 

 distinguish them from the green masses of weed that 

 folded and unfolded in the mysterious currents. 



In calm weather the kelp leaves lie dormant like sea 

 serpents upon the surface, unfolding and folding list- 

 lessly ; but when the wind rises and the sea comes in, it 

 appears to be filled with waving monsters that, gripped 

 in fierce embrace, are rolling over and over. 



The waves are coloured a deep golden-brown hue by 

 them ; they fairly fill the water, and coil and re-coil in a 

 manner particularly dangerous to an unfortunate swim- 

 mer thrown among them at such a time. Often in fierce 

 gales the entire kelpian growth of a locality will be 

 wrenched out and cast ashore to form a pile or windrow 

 for miles along the beach ; but in a marvellously short 

 time the kelp again appears in luxuriant growth. 



These gardens of the sea have proved so interesting 

 that a so-called glass-bottom boat has been invented at 

 Avalon, Santa Catalina, where a fleet is in daily opera- 

 tion. Almost every visitor to the island goes out to 

 drift over the floating gardens of the sea and gaze down 

 through the big glass window at the strange animals of 

 the kelp. Among the fishes is a giant bass six or 

 seven feet in length, which occasionally swims across 

 the window which recalls to some anglers along the 



