186 



THE OPAL SEA 



The variety 

 of marine 

 life. 



One-celled 

 life. 



become known they are duly named and 

 classified. There are now nine or ten large 

 branches with many classes and sub-classes 

 which serve as pigeon holes for the distribution 

 of all sea life. The classification is accurate 

 enough perhaps but ever subject to revision ow- 

 ing to newly acquired information. The end 

 is not yet. We are beyond Aristotle and Pliny, 

 beyond Linnaeus and Cuvier; but not beyond 

 new discovery. 



The simplest form of this animal life in the 

 sea is found in the one-celled Protozoa. They 

 are mostly creatures of microscopical size. The 

 body is composed of protoplasm and, in classes 

 like the foraminifera, covered with a cham- 

 bered shell, or like the radiolaria encased in 

 a capsule and spicules, or like the amoeba not 

 covered at all. They move by contractions of 

 the body, or lash themselves along with cilia; 

 and they absorb food, both animal and vege- 

 table, by surrounding it or engulfing it. Under 

 the microscope the forms are remarkable in de- 

 sign because infinitely varied and complicated. 

 Each one of them is modeled after its kind as 

 though serving a special purpose in creation. 

 But most of these minute organisms, though 

 the gardens of the sea are filled with them, 

 make slight appeal to the shore wanderer be- 



Minute 

 organisms. 



