Then the tide falls and uncovers them. They are in the full light of day
again, the sun shines on them. Most of them cannot escape to the sea,
and so must face the enemies which prowl along the shore looking for
prey. So, from one tide to the next, the rock-pool is like a prison
containing prisoners of the strangest sort.
[Illustration: GULLS. 1. COMMON GULLS. 2. LESSER BLACK GULL. 3. GLAUCOUS
GULLS.]
EXERCISES
1. How is the sand formed?
2. Give the names of some of the animals to be found in the rock-pools.
3. Where do these animals hide?
4. Prawns and shore-crabs are not easily seen; why is this?
LESSON III.
BIRDS OF THE SHORE.
On some parts of our coast we find steep cliffs, with the sea beating
wildly at their feet. Elsewhere there is a sloping beach of sand and
shingle with, perhaps, dark rocks showing at low tide. We explored such
a beach as that in our last lesson. There are long, long stretches of
sand and thin grass in other places, or else mile after mile of muddy,
dreary, salt marshes.
Birds are to be found on every kind of coast. Some, like the Seagull,
wander far and wide.
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