THE LIFE OF THE SEA-SHORE 



139 



bluish foliage, Sea-Stock, and Scurvy 

 Grasses. These last, together with certain 

 of the reeds and rushes, play an im- 

 portant part in gradually fixing the 

 shifting sands. Other plants peculiar 



The most familiar of all the seaweeds 

 are the great masses of Wrack or Fucus, 

 which clothe the rocks from high to low 

 water mark. Although so common, the 

 Wracks are really very interesting, and 



"THE BORDERLAND OF NEPTUNE'S KINGDOM." 



to this borderland of Demeter's kingdom 

 are the Sea-Beet, four kinds of Sea- 

 Lavender, the Sea-Spurrey, Sandwort, 

 and the Tamarisk, which grows so close 

 to the waves on many parts of the Essex 

 and Sussex coasts. Many of these plants 

 show striking modifications, adaptative to 

 their peculiar environment, and are, 

 therefore, worthy of a little close obser- 

 vation. 



Down on the borderland of Neptune's 

 kingdom, how different are the forms of 

 plant . life ! Here we find innumerable 

 seaweeds, which clothe the rocks and 

 shore, varying in colour through all sorts 

 of beautiful shades of green, brown, red. 

 and purple. And not only beautiful of 

 hue, but exquisite of shape, are these 

 plants of Neptune's garden. 



are always worth turning over carefully, 

 for many marine treasures lurk amongst 

 those tangled masses, such as small and 

 delicate seaweeds, minute shell-fish, etc. 

 This common weed has many popular 

 names, such as Bladder-Weed, Kelp, 

 Black Tang, and " Our Lady's Wrack." 

 All round the English and Scotch coasts 

 it is collected and used by the farmers for 

 manure for their fields, the Irish peasants 

 use it for their potato fields, and in Jersey 

 and Guernsey, so valuable is it for 

 agricultural purposes, there are special 

 seasons regulated by Jaw for the cutting 

 and collecting of the " Vraic," as it is 

 called. Altogether, there are four different 

 kinds of Wrack to be found on the shore— 

 the Knobbed Wrack, sometimes called 

 "Sow-whistle," the Bladder Wrack, the 



