THE LAND OF THE DANCING CRANE. 19 



among the protecting branches of the sea- 

 weed." 



"I should like to see the baby fish when 

 they are hatched," said Harry ; " there must be 

 a thousand of them." 



"More than that," replied the doctor. "If 

 all the eggs of fishes were hatched, or if all the 

 young grew up, there would not be water enough 

 on the earth to float them. There is always a 

 fish of some kind that preys upon each particu- 

 lar species, and they in turn are devoured by 

 others. There must, therefore, be many born, if 

 any are to survive. But, without this check to 

 the increase, the fish would multiply with mar- 

 velous rapidity. Suppose, for instance, the egg 

 of the cod, which lays — by trustworthy calcula- 

 tions — over nine millions of eggs, should all be 

 hatched and grow to maturity, the bodies of the 

 cod alone would, before many years, seriously 

 impede navigation." 



The boys concluded that it was fortunate so 

 many fish enjoyed a cod-fish diet. 



The boat had now nearly completed the 

 round of the island when, on making a sudden 



