the Briii/Jj Fuc/\ with particular Defer iptions of each Species. iyi 



To date all the varieties of this Proteus would be an endlefs 

 tafk : we have only endeavoured to give an outline of the princi- 

 pal ones, to which the reft may more readily be reduced. 



There is prodigious confufion in all modern authors about this 

 Fucus. Having all of them taken it for granted that it is the Coanci- 

 des of Linnaeus, they have brought together a flrange mafs of plants, 

 no one agreeing with the Linnaean defcription, or confident with 

 its brethren. One could fcarccly imagine that fuch eminent writers 

 as Gmelin and Mr. Lightfoot would have joined crifpus, mammillofus y 

 palmet t a, and mcmbranifoliu$ $ as one and the fame plant, or that Mr. 

 Hudfon fhould have feen a fimilarity in thofe above mentioned, 

 adding alio that variety of veficu'ofus which we call injiatuu 



Our firft variety (lands in theLinnasan herbarium marked crifpus y 

 and it agrees with Linnasus's defcription. We have traced it regu- 

 larly through thofe varieties which we have defcribed, and can pro- 

 nounce that they all proceed from the fame origin. 



We call our third variety (which is alfo in the Linnacan herba- 

 rium along with the firft) fe/Iatus, after Mr. Lightfoot ; but we 

 have reafon to think from the fynonyms in Buddie's hort. ficcus, 

 that our laft variety was meant by the defcription F. cer amides albi- 

 dus ramulorum apicibusflellatis, R, Syn. p. 44. 



The fourth variety has all its branches of the fame breadth 

 throughout, and the points are all obtufe. 



The fifth variety feems at firft fight fcarcety to belong to this 

 fpecies ; but to an attentive obferver fumcient proof will arife, it 

 being no difficult matter to trace the gradations from the firft va- 

 riety down to this. We have little doubt but that Mr. Hudfon 

 named this variety fliformis ; and, from its comprefTed form, claffed 

 it in his divifion Fronde camprejpi. If this be not Mr. Hudfon's 

 fhformis, we xmift profefs ourfelves ignorant of it altogether, 



Z 2 having 



