THE EUROPEAN SEAS. 



25 



the coast-line where the tides have a fall of a foot 

 or two, or even less, as in districts where the fall is 

 very great. This important belt, which is inhabited 

 by animals and plants capable of enduring periodical 

 exposure to the air, to the glare of light, the heat of 

 the sun, the pelting of rain, and often to being 

 more or less flooded with fresh water, when the 

 tide has receded, claims many genera as well as 

 species peculiar to itself. These again are not dis- 

 tributed at random within the littoral space, but 

 are ranged in sub-regions, which may be traced on 

 rocky shores when the tide is out, even by the most 

 inexperienced eyes, forming variously-coloured belts, 

 banding the base of the land. Their peculiarities 

 will be best pointed out when we treat of the fea- 

 tures of the littoral zones as exhibited in the several 

 European provinces. Succeeding this great shore- 

 band we have the region of sea-weeds — the lamina- 

 rian zone. It extends from the edge of low-water 

 to a depth varying in different localities, but seldom 

 exceeding fifteen fathoms. The laminarian zone is 

 itself divided into sub-regions, marked by belts of 

 differently-tinted algse. It claims a numerous popu- 

 lation of animals peculiar to itself, and is the chosen 

 residence of fishes, mollusks, crustaceans, and inver- 

 tebrata of all classes, remarkable for the brightness 

 and the variegation of the patterns of their colour- 

 ing. This region, above all others, swarms with 

 life, and when we look down through the clear 

 waters into the waving forests of broad-leaved tan- 



