244
'
’
THE SEAS
from that of the previous months.
Under the inuence
of the benevolent raÿs of the sun, the tiny oating plants,
‘
the diatoms, thrive and multiply exceedingly.
Each
single—celled plant divides in half within the space of a day,
the two cells thus formed reproduce in turn to give rise to
four, so that in the course of a week Or a fortnight their
‘
numbers have risen prodigiously.
If we draw our tow net
through the waters oi
the sea in spring we nd that its
meshes become clogged with these little diatoms, and,
although singly almost invisible to the naked eye, they now
tingethe sûriaCe of the net
so countless are their
'
numbers.
Then indeedis the pasturage of the sea most
'
'
.
just about this time too there is a veritable outburst of
animal life in the plankt0n.
In the early mOnths of the
year a great number of all kinds of animals Start to breed.
As we ' have already mentioned, there are few animals
around our shores whose early days are not spent drifting
.
freely in the water layers.
The presence-of these temporary
members oi.the plankt‘on becomes very noticeable in April,
when a t0W net catch Will be found to consist almost
exclusive”ly of these babies… of the sea.
There will be
larval stages of - starsh,- molluscs, worms and crustacea
.
(Plate 87)._
Close around the rocks are amazing swarms
-
of the minute free-swimming young of the acorn—barnacle
which covers the surface of the rocks between tide
(Plate 87).
their time to enjoy a free life, for within
_
;; month, they Will have fastened themselves to the rocks
by their heads, there to remain kicking food into their
mouths.with their feathery legs until they die.
Further
*
from the shore,_ stretching over ‘mile upon mile of water
'
are
the young of that ubiquitous 'plankton copep0d, the
Çalanus, and :mingled with them are the young of countless
other closelÿ allied but smaller species… Young sh, t00,
'
'
’
THE SEAS
from that of the previous months.
Under the inuence
of the benevolent raÿs of the sun, the tiny oating plants,
‘
the diatoms, thrive and multiply exceedingly.
Each
single—celled plant divides in half within the space of a day,
the two cells thus formed reproduce in turn to give rise to
four, so that in the course of a week Or a fortnight their
‘
numbers have risen prodigiously.
If we draw our tow net
through the waters oi
the sea in spring we nd that its
meshes become clogged with these little diatoms, and,
although singly almost invisible to the naked eye, they now
tingethe sûriaCe of the net
so countless are their
'
numbers.
Then indeedis the pasturage of the sea most
'
'
.
just about this time too there is a veritable outburst of
animal life in the plankt0n.
In the early mOnths of the
year a great number of all kinds of animals Start to breed.
As we ' have already mentioned, there are few animals
around our shores whose early days are not spent drifting
.
freely in the water layers.
The presence-of these temporary
members oi.the plankt‘on becomes very noticeable in April,
when a t0W net catch Will be found to consist almost
exclusive”ly of these babies… of the sea.
There will be
larval stages of - starsh,- molluscs, worms and crustacea
.
(Plate 87)._
Close around the rocks are amazing swarms
-
of the minute free-swimming young of the acorn—barnacle
which covers the surface of the rocks between tide
(Plate 87).
their time to enjoy a free life, for within
_
;; month, they Will have fastened themselves to the rocks
by their heads, there to remain kicking food into their
mouths.with their feathery legs until they die.
Further
*
from the shore,_ stretching over ‘mile upon mile of water
'
are
the young of that ubiquitous 'plankton copep0d, the
Çalanus, and :mingled with them are the young of countless
other closelÿ allied but smaller species… Young sh, t00,
'