from　the　sun　and　always　full　of　water；　keep　up　in　a　higher　zone　the
  vegetation　of　a　lower　one；　and　afford　in　nature　an　analogy　to　those
  deep　〃barrancos〃　which　split　the　high　table…land　of　Mexico；　down
  whose　awful　cliffs；　swept　by　cool　sea…breezes；　the　traveller　looks
  from　among　the　plants　and　animals　of　the　temperate　zone；　and　sees
  far　below；　dim　through　their　everlasting　vapour…bath　of　rank　hot
  steam；　the　mighty　forms　and　gorgeous　colours　of　a　tropic　forest。
  〃I　do　not　wonder；〃　says　Mr。　Gosse；　in　his　charming　〃Naturalist's
  Rambles　on　the　Devonshire　Coast〃　（p。　187）；　〃that　when　Southey　had
  an　opportunity　of　seeing　some　of　those　beautiful　quiet　basins
  hollowed　in　the　living　rock；　and　stocked　with　elegant　plants　and
  animals；　having　all　the　charm　of　novelty　to　his　eye；　they　should
  have　moved　his　poetic　fancy；　and　found　more　than　one　place　in　the
  gorgeous　imagery　of　his　Oriental　romances。　　Just　listen　to　him
  〃It　was　a　garden　still　beyond　all　price；
  Even　yet　it　was　a　place　of　paradise；
  And　here　were　coral　bowers；
  And　grots　of　madrepores；
  And　banks　of　sponge；　as　soft　and　fair　to　eye
  As　e'er　was　mossy　bed
  Whereon　the　wood…nymphs　lie
  With　languid　limbs　in　summer's　sultry　hours。
  Here；　too；　were　living　flowers；
  Which；　like　a　bud　compacted；
  Their　purple　cups　contracted；
  And　now　in　open　blossom　spread；
  Stretch'd；　like　green　anthers；　many　a　seeking　head。
  And　arborets　of　jointed　stone　were　there；
  And　plants　of　fibres　fine　as　silkworm's　thread；
  Yea；　beautiful　as　mermaid's　golden　hair
  Upon　the　waves　dispread。
  Others　that；　like　the　broad　banana　growing；
  Raised　their　long　wrinkled　leaves　of　purple　hue；
  Like　streamers　wide　outflowing。'　…　KEHAMA；　xvi。　5。
  〃A　hundred　times　you　might　fancy　you　saw　the　type；　the　very
  original　of　this　description；　tracing；　line　by　line；　and　image　by
  image；　the　details　of　the　picture；　and　acknowledging；　as　you
  proceed；　the　minute　truthfulness　with　which　it　has　been　drawn。　　For
  such　is　the　loveliness　of　nature　in　these　secluded　reservoirs；　that
  the　accomplished　poet；　when　depicting　the　gorgeous　scenes　of
  Eastern　mythology　…　scenes　the　wildest　and　most　extravagant　that
  imagination　could　paint　…　drew　not　upon　the　resources　of　his
  prolific　fancy　for　imagery　here；　but　was　well　content　to　jot　down
  the　simple　lineaments　of　Nature　as　he　saw　her　in　plain；　homely
  England。
  〃It　is　a　beautiful　and　fascinating　sight　for　those　who　have　never
  seen　it　before；　to　see　the　little　shrubberies　of　pink　coralline　…
  'the　arborets　of　jointed　stone'　…　that　fringe　those　pretty　pools。
  It　is　a　charming　sight　to　see　the　crimson　banana…like　leaves　of　the
  Delesseria　waving　in　their　darkest　corners；　and　the　purple　fibrous
  tufts　of　Polysiphonia　and　Ceramia；　'fine　as　silkworm's　thread。'
  But　there　are　many　others　which　give　variety　and　impart　beauty　to
  these　tide…pools。　　The　broad　leaves　of　the　Ulva；　finer　than　the
  finest　cambric；　and　of　the　brightest　emerald…green；　adorn　the
  hollows　at　the　highest　level；　while；　at　the　lowest；　wave　tiny
  forests　of　the　feathery　Ptilota　and　Dasya；　and　large　leaves；　cut
  into　fringes　and　furbelows；　of　rosy　Rhodymeniae。　　All　these　are
  lovely　to　behold；　but　I　think　I　admire　as　much　as　any　of　them；　one
  of　the　commonest　of　our　marine　plants；　Chondrus　crispus。　　It　occurs
  in　the　greatest　profusion　on　this　coast；　in　every　pool　between
  tide…marks；　and　everywhere　…　except　in　those　of　the　highest　level；
  where　constant　exposure　to　light　dwarfs　the　plant；　and　turns　it　of
  a　dull　umber…brown　tint　…　it　is　elegant　in　form　and　brilliant　in
  colour。　　The　expanding　fan…shaped　fronds；　cut　into　segments；　cut；
  and　cut　again；　make　fine　bushy　tufts　in　a　deep　pool；　and　every
  segment　of　every　frond　reflects　a　flush　of　the　most　lustrous　azure；
  like　that　of　a　tempered　sword…blade。〃　…　GOSSE'S　DEVONSHIRE　COAST；
  pp。　187…189。
  And　the　sea…bottom；　also；　has　its　zones；　at　different　depths；　and
  its　peculiar　forms　in　peculiar　spots；　affected　by　the　currents　and
  the　nature　of　the　ground；　the　riches　of　which　have　to　be　seen；
  alas！　rather　by　the　imagination　than　the　eye；　for　such　spoonfuls　of
  the　treasure　as　the　dredge　brings　up　to　us；　come　too　often　rolled
  and　battered；　torn　from　their　sites　and　contracted　by　fear；　mere
  hints　to　us　of　what　the　populous　reality　below　is　like。　　Often；
  standing　on　the　shore　at　low　tide；　has　one　longed　to　walk　on　and　in
  under　the　waves；　as　the　water…ousel　does　in　the　pools　of　the
  mountain　burn；　and　see　it　all　but　for　a　moment；　and　a　solemn　beauty
  and　meaning　has　invested　the　old　Greek　fable　of　Glaucus　the
  fisherman：　　how　eating　of　the　herb　which　gave　his　fish　strength　to
  leap　back　into　their　native　element；　he　was　seized　on　the　spot　with
  a　strange　longing　to　follow　them　under　the　waves；　and　became　for
  ever　a　companion　of　the　fair　semi…human　forms　with　which　the
  Hellenic　poets　peopled　their　sunny　bays　and　firths；　feeding　〃silent
  flocks〃　far　below　on　the　green　Zostera　beds；　or　basking　with　them
  on　the　sunny　ledges　in　the　summer　noon；　or　wandering　in　the　still
  bays　on　sultry　nights　amid　the　choir　of　Amphitrite　and　her　sea…
  nymphs：…
  〃Joining　the　bliss　of　the　gods；　as　they　waken　the　coves　with　their
  laughter；〃
  in　nightly　revels；　whereof　one　has　sung；　…
  〃So　they　came　up　in　their　joy；　and　before　them　the　roll　of　the
  surges
  Sank；　as　the　breezes　sank　dead；　into　smooth　green　foam…flecked
  marble
  Awed；　and　the　crags　of　the　cliffs；　and　the　pines　of　the　mountains；
  were　silent。
  So　they　came　up　in　their　joy；　and　around　them　the　lamps　of　the　sea…
  nymphs；
  Myriad　fiery　globes；　swam　heaving　and　panting；　and　rainbows；
  Crimson；　and　azure；　and　emerald；　were　broken　in　star…showers；
  lighting；
  Far　in　the　wine…dark　depths　of　the　crystal；　the　gardens　of　Nereus；
  Coral；　and　sea…fan；　and　tangle；　the　blooms　and　the　palms　of　the
  ocean。
  So　they　went　on　in　their　joy；　more　white　than　the　foam　which　they
  scattered；
  Laughing　and　singing　and　tossing　and　twining；　while；　eager；　the
  Tritons
  Blinded　with　kisses　their　eyes；　unreproved；　and　above　them　in
  worship
  Fluttered　the　terns；　and　the　sea…gulls　swept　past　them　on　silvery
  pinions；
  Echoing　softly　their　laughter；　around　them　the　wantoning　dolphins
  Sighed　as　they　plunged；　full　of　love；　and　the　great　sea…horses
  which　bore　them
  Curved　up　their　crests　in　their　pride　to　the　delicate　arms　of　their
  riders；
  Pawing　the　spray　into　gems；　till　a　fiery　rainfall；　unharming；
  Sparkled　and　gleamed　on　the　limbs　of　the　maids；　and　the　coils　of
  the　mermen。
  So　they　went　on　in　their　joy；　bathed　round　with　the　fiery　coolness；
  Needing　nor　sun　nor　moon；　self…lighted；　immortal：　　but　others；
  Pitiful；　floated　in　silence　apart；　on　their　knees　lay　the　sea…boys
  Whelmed　by　the　roll　of　the　surge；　swept　down　by　the　anger　of
  Nereus；
  Hapless；　whom　never　again　upon　quay　or　strand　shall　their　mothers
  Welcome　with　garlands　and　vows　to　the　temples；　but；　wearily　pining；
  Gaze　over　island　and　main　for　the　sails　which　return　not；　they；
  heedless；
  Sleep　in　soft　bosoms　for　ever；　and　dream　of　the　surge　and　the　sea…
  maids。
  So　they　passed　by　in　their　joy；　like　a　dream；　on　the　murmuring
  ripple。〃
  Such　a　rhapsody　may　be　somewhat　out　of　order；　even　in　a　popular
  scientific　book；　and　yet　one　cannot　help　at　moments　envying　the　old
  Greek　imagination；　which　could　inform　the　soulless　sea…world　with　a
  human　life　and　beauty。　　For；　after　all；　star…fishes　and　sea…
  anemones　are　dull　substitutes　for　Sirens　and　Tritons；　the　lamps　of
  the　sea…nymphs；　those　glorious　phosphorescent　medusae　whose　beauty
  Mr。　Gosse　sets　forth　so　well　with　pen　and　pencil；　are　not　as
  attractive　as　the　sea…nymphs　themselves　would　be；　and　who　would
  not；　like　Menelaus；　take　the　grey　old　man　of　the　sea　himself　asleep
  upon　the　rocks；　rather　than　one　of　his　seal…herd；　probably　too　with
  the　same　result　as　the　world…famous　combat　in　the　Antiquary；
  between　Hector　and　Phoca？　　And　yet　…　is　there　no　human　interest　in
  these　pursuits；　more　humanity　and　more　divine；　than　there　would　be
  even　in　those　Triton　and　Nereid　dreams；　if　realized　to　sight　and
  sense？　　Heaven　forbid　that　those　should　say　so；　whose　wanderings
  among　rock　and　pool　have　been　mixed　up　with　holiest　passages　of
  friendship　and　of　love；　and　the　intercommunion　of　equal　minds　and
  sympathetic　hearts；　and　the　laugh　of　children　drinking　in　health
  from　every　breeze　and　instruction　at　every　step；　running　ever　and
  anon　with　proud　delight　to　add　their　little　treasure　to　their
  parents'　stock；　and　of　happy　friendly　evenings　spent　over　the
  microscope　and　the　vase；　in　examining；　arranging；　preserving；
  noting　down　in　the　diary　the　wonders　and　the　labours　of　the　happy；
  busy　day。　　No；　such　short　glimpses　of　the　water…world　as　our
  present　appliances　afford　us　are　full　enough　of　pleasure；　and　we
  will　not　envy　Glaucus：　　we　will　not　even　be　over…anxious　for　the
  success