132 THE SEA-SHORE 



partly white, and partly fawn, and partly chest- 

 nut brown. 



One does not often find a tuft coral, however, 

 for the polyps like to live in rather deep water. 

 But when there is a very high spring-tide, as 

 there generally is about the end of March and 

 the end of September, the waves retreat after- 

 wards a good deal farther than usual. And then, 

 if you go right down to the water's edge, you 

 may perhaps find a tuft coral fastened to the 

 rocks. 



PLATE XLIV 

 THE BREAD-CRUMB SPONGE (2) 



I dare say that you will be rather surprised 

 to hear that nearly three hundred different kinds 

 of sponges have been found in the British seas. 

 You will not be able to find very many of these, 

 however, for they nearly all live in deep water, 

 and have to be scooped up by means of the 

 dredge. But the Bread-crumb Sponge is easily 

 found, for it lives in shallow water, and you 

 are nearly sure to find it if you look for it in 

 the rock-pools. 



But I hardly think that anybody, on seeing 

 it for the first time, would take it to be a sponge 

 at all. For it is not in the least like a bath 

 sponge. It is just a kind of fleshy crust, some- 





