62 



THE STORY OF LIFE IN THE SEAS. 



constantly coming into sight and disappearing 

 again. Here the writhing arms of a bright blue 

 Brittle-star may be seen embracing the stem of a 

 Coral-branch; there a curiously flattened Chseto- 

 don, with its body marked by great diagonal 

 yellow bands, is nibbling at the young, tender 

 branchlets; in another place four or five Sea- 

 urchins with very long and slender spines are 

 lying apparently motionless on the bottom ; while 



FIG. 20. Chsetodon. 



a little further on a long black Slug-like creature, 

 the famous "Tfepang" of commerce, is slowly 

 wending its way across the reef. Now and again 

 a large shoal of little Fish or a small party of 

 Cuttlefishes may be seen, and these may rapidly 

 be dispersed in all directions by ^he sudden dash 

 of a Sea-perch or a small Shark. The interest is 

 so varied, so many-sided, in these scenes of 

 animal life that the attention of the naturalist 



