Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original lovely illustrations. See 10513-h.htm or 10513-h.zip: (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/0/5/1/10513/10513-h/10513-h.htm) or (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/0/5/1/10513/10513-h.zip) Cassell's "Eyes and No Eyes" Series, Seventh Book ON THE SEASHORE By R. CADWALLADER SMITH With Eight Colour Plates And Many Black-And-White Illustrations CONTENTS LESSON I. FIVE-FINGERED JACK II. A STROLL BY THE SEA III. BIRDS OF THE SHORE IV. CRABS V. SHRIMPS, PRAWNS AND BARNACLES VI. PLANTS OF THE SHORE VII. FLOWER-LIKE ANIMALS VIII. SEA-WEEDS AND SEA-GRASS IX. THE JELLY-FISH X. SHELLS AND THEIR BUILDERS (1) XI. SHELLS AND THEIR BUILDERS (2) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS COLOUR PLATES TREASURES OF THE SEASHORE [Missing] GULLS THE REDSHANK HERMIT CRABS FIGHTING THE COMMON LOBSTER AND HERMIT CRAB CRUSTACEA WEST PAN SAND BUOY SHELLS BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS COMMON FIVE-FINGERED STARFISH TEST OR SHELL OF A SEA-URCHIN THE CRAB PURSE CRAB HERMIT CRAB IN WHELK'S SHELL HERMIT CRAB WITH SEA FLOWERS THE LOBSTER THE SHRIMP SEA LILY SEA ANEMONE SEA-WEED FROND SEA MAT MEDUSA A MEDUSOID PRECIOUS WENTLETRAP COWRIES LESSON I. FIVE-FINGERED JACK. What fun it is down by the sea at low tide! Scrambling among the slippery rocks, we quickly fill a bucket with curious things. Some are dead, others very much alive; but all have a story to tell us--the story of the life they lead on the bed of the sea, or among the sands and rocks of the shore. Look, here is a Starfish! It is lying on the sand, left high and dry by the waves, for now the tide is low. The Starfish looks limp and lifeless, its five reddish-coloured "arms" are quite still. We know it is an animal that lives in the sea, and dies when washed ashore. But what does it do in the sea? How does it move without legs or fins? How can it live without a head? Has it a mouth? What does it eat, and how does it find its food? Like so many other sea-animals, the Starfish is a puzzle. Some of its little tricks puzzled clever people until quite lately. But we know most of its secrets now. Pass your finger down one of its arms, or rays. It feels rough, being covered with knobs and prickles. Now turn the Starfish over, and look carefully at its underside. In the centre, where the five arms meet, is the animal's mouth. A harmless sort of mouth, you think, too small to be of much use. Really, it is a terrible mouth, the mouth of an ogre!