Il6 BY THE SEA. 



till the slender tips at length could reach just a 

 pinch of common earth and sand on which to 

 thrive and spread their broad mats of leaves and 

 stems on the smooth, water-washed rocks above! 

 "Sea-coast, on rocks and sand, Cape Cod to Maine 

 and northward ; scarce," says Gray's Manual ; so 

 on account of its rarity, it is regarded with more 

 than ordinary interest. One is at once seized 

 with a desire to know its history. For a mile — 

 how much further I know not — East or West of 

 this limited area where a few mats of it grow, not 

 a single sprig can be found. What were the 

 agencies that brought the seeds from a distant 

 beach and planted them here in one spot only, 

 below the stones .-' 



The various tribes of birds that alight on the 

 sands, or wade in the shallow wavelets, or swim 

 among the rocks at low water and half-tide in 

 search of fish dinners, present numerous inviting 

 and attractive scenes to the sea-shore rambler. 

 The song-sparrows, bay-wings and blackbirds that 

 have taken up their abode in the adjacent swamps 

 and meadows, often fly down to this border-land 

 to pick up the sand fleas and other small, juicy 

 Crustacea that the waves have thrown in. Even 

 the kingbirds, with their habits of woods and 

 fields reversed, come here for a change of diet. 

 In absence of posts of observation, they accept 

 the conditions with good grace and alight at once 



