od fishing bait.

Seagulls love to explore the shallow pools. You may see them walking
solemnly about, picking up stray morsels. If you see a screaming group
of them you can be sure that one has found an extra large prize, and the
others mean to share the feast.

Let us walk down the beach towards the sea. Soon we find ourselves among
rocks. Now these rocks are the bare bed of the shore, stripped of all
covering. There is no mud, sand, or shingle, so here you see plainly the
work done by the restless water. On every side you notice rocks worn to
all shapes and sizes. Some jut out as sharp ledges. Others are flat
tables, covered with a table-cloth of sea-plants. These clothe the
rocks, or hang over the ledges like wet, shining green curtains. Nearly
every rock has its crust of barnacles and clumps of mussels. If we are
not careful we slip on the wet weeds, and get a ducking in the pools
which lie everywhere among the rocks.

Here is the best place of all for sharp eyes to find the animals and
plants we seek. Where the hard rock has been worn down into hollows, the
falling tide leaves a pool of still, clear water. These rock-pools are
the home of many a creature. So let us look for them, until the rising
tide sweeps over the rocks once more, and drives us away.

Sea-anemones and seaweeds brighten the pool with their various colours.
Pretty shells gleam here and there; and on the face of the rock there
are more limpets, barnacles and mussels than we can count.

Where are the other living animals which we came to find? You will not
see them unless you hunt for them in the right way. It is a game of
"hide-and-seek." They are the "hiders"; and, as their lives often depend
on their skill in hiding, you cannot wonder that they know every trick
in the game.

There may be crabs, fish, shrimps, and others in the pool. If you look
for a moment, and then walk to the next pool, your hunting will not have
much result. It is best to lie down and wait patiently, gazing into the
clear water of the pool. The little inhabitants are hidden in the dark
corners under the rock ledges, or buried under stones and sand; or they
may be hiding in those thick clumps of mussels--a favourite
lurking-place; or else tucked away in the friendly shelter of the
seaweed.

Knowing their dodges, you will soon become clever at finding them. Some
seaside dwellers, such as prawns, are almost transparent in the water.
Others, like baby crabs, are green or