Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19

and the skies above it keep up their
'atiSu snow OF clouds or speckless blue, ac-
coruing to weather and season; but there is
q great difference between the shore of some
ias9iona0ie resort (where the sands are COW
eieu with footprints, and brass bands, puppet
t snoms and merry-go-rounds scare away the
naeuiaI occupants) and the retired rocky
nook or curying beach seldom trodden by
man.
or freo can Judge pretty well of the solitude
~ ~ hequentatlon OF such piece of shore by
sne a actions of the birds.
a.. ne guiis and the fsh-hawks are not cas-
ny frightened from the places where they
hnd food, and the water remains the same,
nuu 1nmoh hsupphes them with prey, no matter how
ii.I hucu tne shore may be occupied by man;
ii EIs Lne sand -pipers, curlews and other snipe-
sasson Dius winch frequent ocean shores, In the
SEASON, are easily driven away by man, espe-
aaiiy II continually fired at.
New - aot So many years since the, coast OF
L;sn LLsm Jersey was favorite resort for these
pirus; While now that summer resorts and
seen.
-: Inc sand-pipers are particularly interest
ing among these birds, from their CHEEKY
little note, and from the fact that the young,
aL almost exactly like their parents, accompany
feeding eM as ~ soon as they are hatched buslly
teeuiLs o on seaworms, insects. or small crabs
W Sr oCner crustaceans, which they find in pro-
I9slon, either in their holes or among masses
stones.
These birds know that every wave which
breaks upon the beach brings with it some
thlng good for food, and it is interesting to
notice how actively and skillfully they run
oue after the retreatingl surge, to pick up
some annelid or limpet, and then slip back
'perore the next breaker catches them.
Ihey never seem to cease feeding, or to tire,
and in this way they work down the beach
for miles.
The sea-worms, or annelds, upon which
these birds are so fond of feeding, are named
like their cousins, the earth-worms, from be-
ing formed of rings, but they are much more
curious and varied in form than the earth
worms.
Many of them have feet or appendages
which make them look like the "thousand-
leggers we see In damp cellers or under sinks,
while others are of very beautiful colors
Some i've In holes in the sand, and some
protect them.
Another beach worm is the lug, which is
useful as bait for many fish, and their holes
are pointed out to the fishermen, as we'll as
TO the long billed sand..pipers, by the little
heaps OF twisted casts of sand made by them.
II the stroller by the shore comes upon an
old piece of wreck-wood, or some pile that
has been long in the water, he will see that
it is honeycombed in every direction, the holes
being as smoothly bored as we have seen done
by the humble or carpenter bee.
This creature does an immense amount of
injury to the bottoms of wooden vessels. and
to wooden work Of all kinds exposed to the
sea-water.
On the same piece of wreck-wood the
locker will probably find lots of barnacles,
which cling to wood or iron so fast that their
shells form a rough coat on ships bottom,
which, in time, seriously interferes with its
speed.
Even old. Holsters, crabs, sea-turtles and
oysters are found carrying the load of one or
more of the barnacles, which thus ride about
and grow all the faster from having thus
brought within their reach the greater num-
ber of the animalculae on which they feed,
Barnacles cannot live in fresh water. and
a ship which has been brought up fresh
water river, and has lain there for a time,
goes TO- sea again, with her, bottom perfectly
Clean because the barnacleS and sea-prass
have died and fallen off.
On rocks and stones or old timber by the
seaside, or on oyster-shells, we shall notice a
rough, contorted ridge. which are the homes
The ridge is a tube. at the. mouth of which
may be seen the bright red head of it's oc-
Sometimes they are to be seen, still alive,
on oysters which are being opened far in
The rapidity with which these creatures can
withdraw their. red heads inside their nro.
tecting burrow is remarkable, and the shaking
of the sand from the footstep, or even pass.
mo shadow, will cause them to 90 in like
lghtning only to emerge again very slowly
aH9d cautiously 1t must be very smart sand
amer which can catch serpula. In an aqua
rr;nm they can be watched, however, and then
eXhibit beautiful plumes which no one would
suspect TO, exist III rough rldge upon an
OYSTER she'll.
arpe books have been written on the sea-
,yorms. and most curious creatures they are.
Some Of them have the remarkable peculiarity
of division, each portion soon developing into
y u nerfect creature; and another curious point
lpnt them is that different species have blood