THE SCHOOL OF THE SHORE II 
about among the rocks, not disdaining limpets 
and mussels. 
Besides seals and otters there are other 
mammals that frequent or may frequent the 
shore. ‘The polar bear in the Arctic regions 
sometimes lies down beside an opening in the 
thick ice and waits for a seal to come up to 
breathe. With one stroke of its great arm it 
has been known to lift the seal right out of 
the water, and send it crashing over the ice 
instantaneously killed. The walruses, also of 
the North, dig up the bivalves with their huge 
tusks. Along warm coasts the dugongs and 
manatees, jointly known as sea-cows, browse 
on the seaweeds. But we have said enough: 
the shore-fauna includes mammals. 
Birps.—There are many birds character- 
istic of the shore, especially at certain seasons. 
We think of gulls and terns, dunlins and sand- 
pipers, curlew and whimbrel, shag and cor- 
morant, and many others—a fine account of 
which will be found in Mr. W. P. Pycraft’s 
delightful book The Sea Shore. We can only 
select a representative. The oyster-catcher is 
often to be seen where there are limpets and 
mussels in abundance. The black and white 
