There it lies, a mass of helpless
jelly, which slips and breaks through your fingers if you try to lift
it.
It cannot move back to its watery home, and in a short time the sun's
warmth will have dried it up, leaving but a mark on the sand, and a few
scraps of animal matter; for these strange creatures are little else but
water. A Jelly-fish, which weighed two pounds when alive, would leave
less than the tenth part of one ounce when dried!
There is a story of a farmer who, on seeing thousands and thousands of
Jelly-fish along the shore, thought he would make use of them. He
decided that they would serve as manure for his fields, and so save him
much money. He went home, and sent men with wagons to be loaded with the
Jelly-fish. This was done, and the Jelly-fish were spread over the soil.
On looking at his fields the next morning, the farmer was astonished to
find that every scrap of his new manure had vanished as if by magic!
[Illustration: WEST PAN SAND BUOY. ONE OF THE MANY BUOYS AT THE MOUTH OF
THE THAMES.]
In the sea the Jelly-fish looks like an umbrella of bluish-white jelly,
from which hang tassels and threads.
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