Soon we find ourselves among
rocks. Now these rocks are the bare bed of the shore, stripped of all
covering. There is no mud, sand, or shingle, so here you see plainly the
work done by the restless water. On every side you notice rocks worn to
all shapes and sizes. Some jut out as sharp ledges. Others are flat
tables, covered with a table-cloth of sea-plants. These clothe the
rocks, or hang over the ledges like wet, shining green curtains. Nearly
every rock has its crust of barnacles and clumps of mussels. If we are
not careful we slip on the wet weeds, and get a ducking in the pools
which lie everywhere among the rocks.
Here is the best place of all for sharp eyes to find the animals and
plants we seek. Where the hard rock has been worn down into hollows, the
falling tide leaves a pool of still, clear water. These rock-pools are
the home of many a creature. So let us look for them, until the rising
tide sweeps over the rocks once more, and drives us away.
Sea-anemones and seaweeds brighten the pool with their various colours.
Pretty shells gleam here and there; and on the face of the rock there
are more limpets, barnacles and mussels than we can count.
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