The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-04-11
WADING ON A CAY.
SPECIMENS OF sEALIFE SEEN AMONG
THE BAHAMAS.

Masses of Coral Full Of Tiny Crustaceans.
Under the shelves of Rock--Among
the Orange colored Fields of Sara
gossa.
One day at low tide went ashore Off Hog
Cay. TWAS, or is, called Hog Cay because
there are no hogs on it, and for that matter
there are dozens of Gays called Hog Cay pos
sibly for the same reason. Most of the sponge
fishing vessels carry black pig which roams
on the forecastle deck. What this pig gets
to eat is to me a mystery. There seems to be
no surplus of food, no cold food over GER
tainly, for The sponge hsherman's food is
bread and water, and not over much of that.
These pigs are very thin, and have an I'M
comfortable habit Of gnawing at ones pants
legs.
At low tide the shores of rocky islet or
cay in the Bahamas has a ragged reef of rock
uncovered and looking like mass Of wind
blown soap suds made on a large scale, sud
denly petrihed, and then black or gray with
mildew. 1t is honeycombed and pocketed
with sharp, brittle, jagged points every
where. On and in this reef are found many
species of mollusks, generally occupy
ing slight depressions made by themselves;
they withdraw into their shells, shut the door
and placidly await the flow of the next tide
Here are thousands of the little spiral bleed
ing tooth shells Below this rock is a shelv-
ing beach or shallow sloping, and on this
waded in my rubber boots, collecting such
things as attracted my attention Masses of
soft corals branched and interlaced, whitish
with pink tips served as cover for fish of
many bright colors, little fellows not daring
to go into the open.
FULL OF LIFE.
Taking to the dry beach masses of this
coral as great as / could lift, found it full
Of life; little tiny crustaceans-white, black
and red-minute, quick moving star fish,
green and black; black spined sea eggs; long
worms with double line of leg like points
on the lower surface and leather tube, in
which they carried themselves; funny little
old mossback crabs, so hid by vegetable
growth as to pass unnoticed if they would
only keep still; a beautiful olive shell, with
purple mouth, like dainty lady in humble
company. Here and there whelk or two,
nestled under little shelf, with its button
like door shut tight. Larger and fatter
corals of dull yellow found covered with
parasitic life, such as tiny sponges, leather
like, fiat, some yellow with many mouth,
others brown and like a miniature volcano.
in handling which there is left In the skin
spicule SO fine and needle like that they
poison the hands, causing an itching and
eruption that lasts for days; waving alge,
thread like sea plants of many plumey
form and many shade of brown; coralites
white and brown, jointed, branching tufts.
Under the rock shelves were bright colored
anemones siren like letting the shallow tide
comb their long hair A little deeper big
crayfish, brilliant in gold and black, with
feelers twenty inches long, instead of claws,
steal quickly away; big crabs, blue and gray
or dark spotted red, hold up angry claws.
then try to hide under my boots. On shore
the great round leaves OF the red and green
sea grape hide the land.
On the leeward side Of the cay the ebb tide
leaves bare white marty bar / 900 acres In
area, full of the tracks of little lively she'll
fish blowing along and feeding; naticas,
white and blue; deep holes where the crabs
hide; other holes from which issues a long
sack, translucent and filled with red spots,
the eggs Of some creature little collar like
rings, the egg cases of the niritas A fringe
Of dead and brown gulf weed marks the line
Of the spent high tide on the shore, with here
and there dead shell or sponge A couple
of hours wading, at each low tide, at the end
of New Cay, is fruitful every day of new and
strange creatures Such hours are fascinat-
ing and such pleasure is unalloyed.
GARDEN OF THE SEA.
Whoever has sailed in a big steamship to
Cuba, to the Bahamas or through the South
Atlantic, has seen after crossing the Gulf
Stream, day after day, an unending process
sion of great and little patches of bright
orange colored plant which floats placidly ON
the surface. Sometimes il is only single
plant spread out fat with the leaves and
stems partly out of water; often there are
patches of from many inches to many feet In
area; or again great fields acres in extent:
sometimes it is in streaks or bands, continu-
Gus or interrupted, a few feet, or may be rods
wide, extending from horizon to horizon.
This is the orange colored garden Of the sea,
simple plant, without apparent DOT, leafing,
Towering and fruiting as it floats, the Sara
gossa sea weed, whose metropolis is In the
horse ATTITUDES.
have often wanted TO fish It up from the
deck of a steamer, but never succeeded to
any satisfaction until recently, when
crossed on little sloop one of the abyssal
deeps Of ocean which reach In between the
Bahama islands. l could easily reach 1t with
landing net as we sailed. 1t is plant of
soft orange color over, under and through
A multitude of minute animals, little coral
like growths wreath the stems in strings of
pearls Crabs no bigger than finger nail,
mailed in coats of flesh red or black, resent
with upheld claw all intrusion; prawns and
Holsters in miniature fiip-fap their jointed
tails In microscopic gladness; fishes In bright
bands Of color, half an inch long, find home
here
In this the winged shells OF many forms