THE TIRST-TIDE POOL. 10 



Microscopes are so generally used by all intelligent 

 observers of nature, they are so cheap and portable, 

 that I shall believe my readers possess one, and draw 

 their attention to the lovely and scarcely visible sea- 

 weeds that are parasitic on the larger ones. 



Now, having these ready, we will wait until a 

 collection has been made, when on our return home 

 we want to preserve our treasures, and then give 

 directions for the mounting. (See Chapter VII., 

 p. 135). 



The Uses oe Seaweeds and tkeie Stetjctttee. 



"How wondrous is the scene ! where all is formed 

 With number, weight, and measure ! all designed 

 Eur some great end ! Where not alone the plant 

 Of stately growth, the herb of glorious hue, 

 Of foodful substance; nor the labouring steed, 

 The herd and flock that feed us ; nor the mine 

 That yields us stores for elegance and use; 

 The sea that loads our table, and conveys 

 The. wanderer, man, from clime to clime; with all 

 Those rolling spheres that from on high shed down 

 Their kindly influence ; nor these alone. 

 Which strike e'en eyes incurious ; but each moss, 

 Each shell, each crawling insect, holds a rank 

 Important in the scale of Him who framed 

 This scale of beings; holds a rank, which, lost, 

 Would break the chain, and leave a gap behind, 

 Which Nature's self would rue !" 



Stillingfleet. 



There was a time, and not very long ago, when sea- 

 veeds were the most despised of vegetable life, when 

 professors of botany ignored them, tossed them aside 

 as children's playthings, and only mentioned them 

 as lovrest in the scale of Creation, if not absolutely 

 'oxious. 



The epicure found out, however, that one seaweed 



b 2 



