THE
SEA-BEACH AT EBB-TIDE
THE SEAWEEDS AND THE
LOWER ANIMAL LIFE FOUND
BETWEEN TIDE-MARKS
600 ILLUSTRATIONS
And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments
Of many desperate studies.
Shakspere.
The Century Co.
PREFACE
This volume is designed to be an aid to the amateur collectorand student of the organisms, both animal and vegetable,which are found upon North American beaches. In it aredescribed many invertebrates and some of the more notable varietiesof seaweeds, and each individual is given its proper place inthe latest classification.
The technicality of classification or scientific grouping mayat first seem repellent, but it in reality makes the study of theseobjects more simple; and a systematic arrangement has beenadopted in the belief that it is the easiest as well as the only satisfactoryway of becoming familiar with the organisms described.Without it a very confused picture of separate individuals wouldbe presented to the mind, and a book like the present one wouldbecome a mere collection of isolated scraps of information. Morphology,or the study of structure, has been touched upon justenough to show the objects from the biologist's point of view andto enable the observer to go a little beyond the bare learning ofnames.
Scientific names have been used from necessity, for the plantsand animals of the beach are so infrequently observed, except byscientific people, that but few of them have common names;and, as a matter of fact, the reader will find that a scientific nameis as easily remembered as a common one. Technical phraseologyhas, however, been avoided as much as possible, even at theexpense of conciseness and precision; where it has been used, carehas been taken to explain the terms so that their meaning will beplain to every one. A general glossary has been omitted, but thetechnical terms used have been indexed. The illustrations willbear the use of a hand-glass, and this will often bring out detailswhich cannot well be seen by the unaided eye.
The systematic table of the marine algæ, as given in Part I,and followed in the text, will be of use to collectors who wish tomake herbaria. In order to name and group specimens such aguide is necessary. Should specific names lead to embarrassment,many of them can be neglected, for the names of genera are oftena sufficient distinction.
Since so many species of invertebrates are found on the beachthat a complete enumeration of them is impracticable, only themost conspicuous ones have been selected for description inPart II; but the attempt has been made to designate the variousclasses and orders with sufficient clearness to enable the collectorto identify the objects commonly found on the shore,