The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-04-08
3 soenos on the Ocean Floor.

: sBesides the countless varieties of the
\ nfucus, the bottom Of the sea is oyergrown
Swith the. cmled, deep purple leaves of
the~sea lettuce, with large porous i ~
ems, and many branched hollow a
-fDll Of life and motion in their rosy lit
tle bladders, thickly set with over NOV.
ling tiny arms a..
: These plants form submarine forests,
growing one into another, in apparently
lawle@ order here interlacing their
branches, there forming bowers and long
avenues at one time thriving abundant.
ly, till the thioket seems impenetrablc,
thea again leaving largo openings be-
tween void aud void, where smaller
plants form beautiful pink turf There
n thousand -h1es and tinges shine and
glitter in each changing light. 10 the
indulgence of their luxurious growth, the
fuel, especially, seem to crafty every
whim and freak. Creeping close to the
ground, or sending long stretched arms.
crowned with waving plumes, up to tho
blessed light Of heaven, they form pale
green sea groves, whete there is neither
moon or stars, or rise up nearer to the
surface, to he transcendtly rich and gor.
geous brightest green, gold aud purple.
And through this dream-like scene, play
ing in all the colors of the rainbow, and
deep under the hollow briny ocean, there
sails and chase each other morrily gayly
painted molusks, and bright shining
flashes. Suails of every shape creep
slowly along tho stems, while huge gray
haired seals hang with their enormous
tusks on large, tall trees There is the
gigantic Dugono, tho siren Of the ar
clients, the side long shark, with his lead
en- eyes, the thick haired sea leopard, and
the sluggish turtle. Look how these
strange, i'll shaped forms, which ever
keep their drcimles sleep far down in
the gloomy deep, stir themselves from
time time See how they drive each
other from their rich pastures, how they
teem to awake in storms, rising like is
lands from beneath, and snorting in the
angry spray Perhaps they gozo peace.
fully 10 the unbroken cool Of the oceans
deep bed, when 10 hungry shark comos
slyly, silently around that grove; it's
classy eyes shine ghost.liks with yell
low sheen and seek their proy. The sea
dog becomes aware of bis dreaded enc
my, and seeks refuge in the thickest re-
cesses Of the fucus forest. In an instant
the whole scene changes. The oyster
closes lis shell! with clap, and throws
itself into the deep below the turtle
conceal. head api feet under her impen-
etrable armor, and sinks slowly down
ward; the playful little fish disappear
in the branches of the marocystis; lob
sters hide under tho thick, clumsy shap-
en- roots, and the young walrus alone
turns boldly around, aud faces the in.
truder with his sharp pointed teeth.
The shark seeks to gain his unprotected
side The battle commences both seek
the forest their Fms become entangled
in the closely interviewer branches, at
last tho more agile shark succeeds in
wouuding his adversary's eide. Dis
pairing Of life, the bleeding walrus tries
to conceal his last agony in the woods
bur, blinded by pain aud blood, he fas
tens himself among the branches, and
soon falls an easy prey to the shark, who
grccdily devours him. .-P~thom's Mag
azinc.