32 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 
Church, has pictured three great chapters in 
the history of plant-life. 
(I.) After the earth had greatly cooled 
down, the condensation of the water vapour 
formed a great sea covering the whole surface 
of the earth. In this sea there lived minute 
single-celled or bodiless green plants, each 
sufficient unto itself. Some of these Plankton 
plants were the ancestors of those which now 
abound near the surface of the Open Sea. 
(II.) By and by the buckling of the sea- 
covered earth’s crust brought part of it within 
reach of the light, and supplied an illumined 
sea-floor on which plants could fix themselves 
and grow big. This was the beginning of the 
shore vegetation, the beginning of a sub- 
stratum, the beginning of what we ordinarily 
call sea-weeds. And as they were fixed crea- 
tures, it was necessary for them to show, not 
only means of self-preservation, but means of 
dispersal, ways of continuing their kind. 
Some of the free-swimming plants that settled 
down grew long threads, others spread out 
into fronds, others forked and branched like 
the most beautiful lace. Ages passed, and 
there was a great race of seaweeds. Some of 
those now living are a hundred feet long. 
