THE SCHOOL OF THE SHORE 31 



empty bunches are often torn off by the waves 

 and thrown up on the beach. If a capsule is 

 carefully examined, an opening will be seen 

 on the inturned flatter side the opening by 

 which the surviving larvae emerged. The 

 same grim story is true of the neat vase- 

 shaped capsules, first pinkish and then straw- 

 coloured, which the small Dog Whelk (Pur- 

 pura lapillus) fastens to the rocks, very often 

 to the under side of a shelf. Many are called 

 into life, but few are chosen to survive. 



SHORE SEAWEEDS 



It is a great sight when the seaweeds are 

 uncovered on a rich foreshore at the lowest 

 tide of the year. If we put on old clothes 

 and boots and wade out among them, very, 

 very cautiously, because of the slipperiness 

 and the danger of concealed deep holes, we 

 get our reward, especially if we take scientific 

 imagination as our staff. We find ourselves 

 in the midst of a rich and varied vegetation, 

 part of which is older than the hills. We are 

 in the midst of the plants of the early ages of 

 the earth's history. 



A distinguished Oxford botanist, Dr. A. H. 



