The Sea-Beach At Ebb-Tide - free ebook by Augusta Foote Arnold

THESEA-BEACH AT EBB-TIDE

And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments Of many desperate studies. Shakspere ....

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Preface

This volume is designed to be an aid to the amateur collector and student of the organisms, both animal and vegetable, which are found upon North American beaches. In it are described many invertebrates and some of the more notable varieties of seaweeds, and each individual is given its proper place in the latest classification. The technicality of classification or scientific grouping may at first seem repellent, but it in reality makes the study of these objects more simple; and a systematic a

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I. Signs on the Beach

The sea-shore, with its stretches of sandy beach and rocks, seems, at first sight, nothing but a barren and uninteresting waste, merely the natural barrier of the ocean. But to the observant eye these apparently desolate reaches are not only teeming with life; they are also replete with suggestions of the past. They are the pages of a history full of fascination for one who has learned to read it. In this history even the grains of sand have a part. Though so humble now, they once formed the roc

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II. Collecting

It has been said that everything on the land has its counterpart in the sea. But all land animals are separate and independent individuals, while many of those of the sea are united into organic associations comprising millions of individuals inseparably connected and many of them interdependent, such as corals, hydroids, etc. These curious communities can be compared only to the vegetation of the land, which many of them resemble in outer form. Other stationary animals, such as oysters and barn

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III. Classification

The first great biological division is into kingdoms, namely, the animal kingdom and the vegetable kingdom. Then by classification the vast number of existing animals and plants are grouped so as to give each individual a definite place. By this system a beautiful order is established, which enables the student to find any particular animal or plant he may wish to study, and also to know its general characteristics from the name of the group to which it belongs. In broad generalization, objects

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IV. Animal Life in its Lowest Forms

The biological division, or discrimination, between animal and vegetable life, is based on the manner of assimilating food. Plants feed upon mineral substances, or, in other words, assimilate inorganic matter, while animal life requires for its support vegetable or some other organic matter. Animal as well as vegetable life in its lowest forms begins with one-celled organisms, which are called respectively Protozoa (first animals) and Protophyta (first plants). Both of these divisions are compos

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V. Distribution of Animal Life in the Sea

All living things which inhabit the sea have their appointed boundaries, and the localization of marine life is as distinct as is that of terrestrial life. Each kind of beach has forms of life peculiar to itself. Those animals which inhabit rocky shores or stony beaches or sand or mud may be looked for anywhere under similar physical surroundings. They are, however, modified by climatic conditions, and in wide ranges differ in genera and species. The rocky coast of Maine has a class of sea-urchi

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VI. Some Botanical Facts About Algæ

The vegetable world is separated into two great divisions: thallophytes , or plants having no distinction of leaf or stem, and cormophytes , or plants which have leaves and stems. All thallophytes that live in the water and are nourished wholly by water are called algæ . A second great division of plants is into cryptogams , or those that have no flowers, and phanerogams , or those that have flowers, by means of which seeds are produced and successive generations of plant life continued. Thallop

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VII. Naming of Plants

The real or technical names of plants, which at first appear long and unpronounceable, are in reality simple when the system of naming is understood. Every plant has a generic and a specific name. The generic name is analogous to the surname of a person, such as Smith or Jones . The specific name is analogous to the Christian name of a person, such as John or James . The specific name never stands alone, and would have as little designating character as John —— or James ——. This is called the bi

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VIII. Distribution of Algæ

The eastern coast of North America has been divided into four sections, which correspond to the distribution of the algæ which are characteristic of each section. The boundary-lines are not precise, since some species of each section extend beyond the defined limits; but arctic forms are not generally found south of Cape Cod, nor can tropical varieties be expected north of Cape Hatteras. On the intervening coast, however, there are some species common to both sections. The divisions are: On the

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IX. Some Peculiar and Interesting Varieties of Algæ

The species of seaweeds that are known and classified are said to number several thousands. These plants, which have neither vessels for the conduction of fluids, nor fibers, consisting simply of the first vegetable element, the cell, have, notwithstanding this limitation, assumed a great variety of forms. In size they vary from one one-thousandth of an inch in diameter, the smallest green plants known, to those which exceed in length the height of the tallest trees and form dense submarine fore

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X. Uses of Algæ

Water covers two thirds of the surface of the earth, and algæ, with a very few exceptions, constitute the whole vegetation which exists in that enormous area. They have, therefore, an important part to perform in the economy of nature. Algæ do not, like land plants, derive their nourishment from the soil to which they are attached, but from substances held in solution by water. In their growth they effect changes in the water analogous to those effected by land plants in the air; that is, they c

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XI. Collecting at Bar Harbor

The beautiful coast of Maine is a particularly good field for shore-collecting. The rocky coast harbors the boreal fauna and flora which depend upon such physical conditions, and the shores at Bar Harbor are typical of those found elsewhere in northern New England. The rocks give shelter from the beating surf, while life has exposure to the cold, pure waters of the arctic current. Everywhere along the shore, rock pools are to be found. These are perhaps the most fascinating of all spots to the c

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I. Blue-Green Seaweeds and Grass-Green Seaweeds

The minute algæ, which form patches of purple color on rocks, slimy layers or spots on wharves, bluish-green slime on mud, emerald-green films on decaying algæ, blue-green slime on brackish ditches, and so on, are various species of the subclass Cyanophyceæ . The prevailing color of these plants is blue-green, but some are purple, brown, or pink. Some of them are gelatinous in texture and shapeless, others have more definite forms; but all are too small to classify without the aid of a powerful

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II. Olive-Green and Brown Seaweeds

This subclass contains some of the most remarkable of the seaweeds. It is especially notable for the diversity of its plant forms, which range from filaments to plants which appear to have stems and leaves ( Sargassum ). The species vary in size from very small fronds to those of immense size (the Laminariaceæ ). It includes Fucus (the rockweeds), a very conspicuous genus, which furnishes fully three fourths of the vegetable covering of the tidal rocks in the localities in which it grows. This o

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III. Red Seaweeds

In Rhodophyceæ , known also as Florideæ and Rhodospermeæ , algæ attain their highest development. This is marked by the mode of reproduction, which, more nearly than in the other subclasses, resembles that of flowering plants. The fronds, however, are not as large and do not as closely resemble stem and leaf as do some species of the brown algæ. The species of this subclass are very numerous, and the variety in their fronds, their delicate texture, and their colors, which vary from pink to purpl

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I. Porifera

There are many animals which consist of but one cell. These are called Protozoa , and comprise the Infusoria and other microscopic organisms. The animals next higher in the scale are Metazoa , or multicellular animals, and the first group of this subdivision is Porifera , the sponges, the lowest of the many-celled animals. For a long time sponges occupied a disputed ground between the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Aristotle was the first to point out that a sponge is not a plant. The assertion

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II. Cœlenterata (Polyps)

The animals included in the phylum Cœlenterata were once all called zoöphytes , or animal plants, because of their resemblance to vegetable forms. The name Cœlenterata is derived from two Greek words meaning "hollow" and "intestine," and it describes the anatomical structure of each member of the group. They are commonly known as polyps. In the simplest forms the parts which perform the different functions cannot be distinguished one from the other, and even in higher forms there is but little d

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III Worms (Platyhelminthes Nemathelminthes Annulata)

Burrowing in sand and mud, lying under stones and in crevices of rocks, concealed in various kinds of tubular cases which are free or attached to stones or shells, crawling over the ground or seaweeds, swimming free or attached to other animals, is found in abundance a class of animals commonly known as "worms," and generally regarded as repulsive creatures unworthy of attention. To the biologist, however, worms are among the most interesting forms of lower animal life. The amateur collector, if

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IV. Molluscoida.

Avicula´ria : Specifically modified zoœcia, resembling a bird's head, found only in the Cheilostomata . Brown bodies : Brown pigment-masses contained in the zoœcia and derived from the breaking down of the polypides. Lo´phophore : The disk bearing the mouth and circlet of ciliated tentacles. Orifice : The open end of the zoœcium. Ovicell : The receptacle in which the eggs develop. Pe´ristome : The ridge around the orifice of cell. Po´lypide : The parts of the animal within the zoœcium. Vibra´cul

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V. Echinodermata.

Abo´ral surface : The side opposite the mouth. Ambula´cra : Tubular feet used in moving. Ambulacral zones : The five areas containing the rows of tube-feet. Ampul´læ : Reservoirs or vesicles at the base of the tube-feet. Auricula´ta : The larval stage of holothurians. Bipinna´ria or Branchiolaria : The larval stage of starfishes. Dorsal surface : The back of the animal, generally, but not necessarily, the upper side. Exoskeleton : Outside framework or support, differing from a true skeleton whic

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VI. Arthropoda.

Abdomen : The posterior part of the body. Antennæ : Articulated appendages which immediately precede the mouth. Anten´nules : The anterior of the two pairs of feelers of the head. Bira´mous : Having two branches. Carapace : A thin chitinous shell covering the cephalothorax. Cephalic : Pertaining to the head. Cephalotho´rax : The united head and thorax. Chela : The pair of pincers, or claw, which terminates some of the appendages. Che´liped : A leg with chela, or claw, at the end. Endop´odite : T

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VII. Mollusca.

Abductor muscles : Muscles which move parts away from the axis. Adductor muscles : Muscles which draw parts together; opposite of abductor . Aperture : Opening of the spiral shell. Bilateral symmetry : Having two equal sides, divided by a central axis. Branchiæ : Gills, or breathing-organs; organs subservient to respiration through water. Same as ctenidia . Buccal mass : The mouth-parts as a whole; the organ of prehension and mastication of food; the pharynx: present in all mollusks except lamel

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VIII. Chordata.

The most conspicuous animals of this class are the ascidians, which are common objects on rocky coasts. The simple ascidians are peculiar leathery, sac-shaped bodies which send out jets of water when touched. This habit gives them the common name of "sea-squirts." Some are highly colored, especially those of Southern waters; others are somber, unattractive bodies, often growing in masses. The compound ascidians are gelatinous colonies, sometimes forming thin incrustations, sometimes jelly-like m

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CORRIGENDA

As mentioned on page 29 of the book, typography was used in a specific way to visually distinguish various taxonomic classes. Some of the forms used herein do not work well in some current e-reader applications. For example, small-caps do not currently work well in many epub reader applications. Therefore, small-caps typography is herein reinforced with an underline. Here are examples of most of the variants: BOLD UPPERCASE SMALL ; BOLD UPPERCASE LARGE ; Bold Italic ; Bold ; UPPERCASE SMALL ; Sm

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