. Shells and sea-life. l fishes are swimming about;that companies of crabs, clad in red and greenarmor, are actively marching back and forth;that brilliant sponges are drinking in their food;that corals and starfishes, and seaworms andsea-cucumbers, and dozens of other sea-creatures,are all alive and active, and that their life is go-ing on as merrily as ours does at a May Daypicnic. Our particular friends the abalones then ven-ture out of their cracks, and hobnob with theirfellows in a sociable manner until an occasionalpuff of air from above warns them all that thetide is going out, and that
. Shells and sea-life. l fishes are swimming about;that companies of crabs, clad in red and greenarmor, are actively marching back and forth;that brilliant sponges are drinking in their food;that corals and starfishes, and seaworms andsea-cucumbers, and dozens of other sea-creatures,are all alive and active, and that their life is go-ing on as merrily as ours does at a May Daypicnic. Our particular friends the abalones then ven-ture out of their cracks, and hobnob with theirfellows in a sociable manner until an occasionalpuff of air from above warns them all that thetide is going out, and that it will behoove all thatcan do so to hie to safe quarters, and all the restto veil their charms as much as possible. And so the sea weeds and mosses lie flat on therocks, the gorgeous worms creep into their holes,the mollusks into their shells, and the fishes swimout to sea, and when we arrive with our longrubber boots, nearly everything seems to bedrooping or asleep. But if it is so beautiful when it is at its ABALONES, OR SEA-EARS. 59 how lovely must be the ocean home when it iscovered with water; when its plants are all grow-ing, its fishes all swimming, and its creepingthings all creeping. It is true that we are not fitted to live in thisocean home, and it would be a very sorry thing ifwe should ever fall overboard and actually enterit; but as we stand on the brink of the sea we canlook off and be glad to know that under thewaves there is as much beauty, and perhaps asmuch contentment, as there is above them. There are several different species of Haliotis,or abalone, some of which are rarely which you will find on the shore, or whichyou will see in small collections, will probably allbelong to one or more of three species. Thename Haliotis is the Greek for * Sea-ear, andthese creatures are so called because the shellssomewhat resemble a huge ear. The most common kind in southern Californiais the Green Abalone, shown in Figure 20. Theoutside of the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectmollusk, bookyear1901
