It is quite curious to see, in an exposed harbour, how soon the waves from the open sea, as they travel through the straggling stems, sink in height, and pass into smooth water.
The number of living creatures of all Orders, whose existence intimately depends on the kelp, is wonderful.

A great volume might be written, describing the inhabitants of one of these beds of seaweed.

Almost all the leaves, excepting those that float on the surface, are so thickly incrusted with corallines as to be of a white colour.

We find exquisitely delicate structures, some inhabited by simple hydra-like polypi, others by more organised kinds, and beautiful compound Ascidiae.

On the leaves, also, various patelliform shells, Trochi, uncovered molluscs, and some bivalves are attached.