THE INHABITANTS OF THE WATER.
The water is full of living things. Watch the water of some quiet pond and you will see many sorts of animals. They are moving about looking for something to eat.
The most of the animals that you find in the water spend all of their lives there. Some of them are fitted to live upon the land also. These go back and forth as they please.
The land animals have legs for walking and lungs for breathing air. The water animals swim, or float, or creep upon the bottom. Some remain fastened in one place the whole of their lives like plants. Instead of lungs they have gills for breath ing water.
We find many kinds of plants growing in the water. Those in the shallow ponds and lakes, whose roots reach into the mud and whose leaves and flowers are found upon the surface of the water, were once land plants.
Besides these we find another class of plants called alge or seaweeds. These are very different from the plants which we have just mentioned. Their home has always been in the water.
Some of them float in the water while others grow fastened to the bottom. They have no real roots, but take their food from the water by means of their leaves.
If you could take a walk upon the bottom of the ocean it would seem like fairyland. Everything would be so strange and interesting.
\\Te should see waving seaweeds of many colors, and upon the bottom beautiful shells and delicate corals; little crabs of curious shape would run up and down the seaweeds or hide among their leaves. Some have little seaweeds growing upon their backs.
We should see many fish and other animals, some very large and fearful to look at.
Nearly all the fish that you find in the ocean die if placed in fresh water. The grandfathers of the fish which you catch in the brooks and lakes lived in the ocean a long time ago. Their children while hunting for food slowly became used to breath ing fresh water. So at last they left the ocean and
went up the rivers to live. They found food which they liked in the rivers and they did as you will learn plants have done. They adapted themselves to all kinds of. places. These fishes have lived in fresh water so long that now salt water will kill them.
You have all heard of the salmon. It can live in both fresh and salt water. This fish spends the most of its time in the ocean. When its eggs are ready to be laid it seeks a stream of fresh water.
For clays the streams along the north Pacific ocean are filled with salmon. They are crowding and pushing their way up stream. Those that arc not killed at last reach the clear cold brooks in the mountains and there lay their eggs.
Seals and whales are among the most inter esting of the ocean animals. They are not fish, for they have to come to the surface of the water to breathe air.
What a strange story these animals can tell! Their grandfathers lived upon the land ever so long ago. They had four legs and walked around like other animals.
They used to go into the water for food and at last spent the most of their time there. Their bodies and legs became changed so that they could swim or paddle through the water. Now they are at home in the water and very quick and graceful in their movements. Have you ever seen a seal out of water and noticed how awkward it is? The beau tiful fur coat of the seal is like the coats its grand fathers wore when they lived upon the land. The face of the seal is very different from that of the fish. It is much more intelligent.
If you live near the ocean you have enjoyed playing along the shore at low tide. What have you discovered about the inhabitants of the ocean?