8 A Day with the Sea Urchtns.

 

heard on that never-to-be-forgotten day which | am
going to tell you about. es

I dare say you have often been into this cave. at
low tide, and at common hours of the day; and you
know all about the beautiful colours of the quartz rock
which forms the roof and sides, and how they glitter
with gold and silver flakes, and you have looked out
from it across the brown weed-covered rocks at the
shining blue bay, and the little islands which lie in the
mouth of the river just where it flows into the open
sea beyond; but all the timie you knew nothing about
the dear pretty little creatures who make it their home
whenever the tide is high enough to serve as a door
-to shut out prying eyes.

When the tide ebbs they go out with it, and a
merry party they are, as you would have said, had you
seen them as I did, singing, laughing, and splashing,
and playing all manner of funny pranks with each
other. They swim out and away to the rocky islands
which shine so golden and fairylike in the morning
sunlight, where there are plenty of safe nooks for them
to play in till the flowing tide brings them back again
to their home in the cave.

Perhaps you will wonder why they are so very
much afraid of being seen. The fact is simply this.
They wear no clothes, and you know the laws of the
coast are very strict upon this point. One day they