214 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
from me, that it was quite a day’s journey to go there and back; 
so that I never reached it but once. It is also difficult of access, 
for it is private property ; and the boat on the lake is always kept 
locked up, and you cannot have the use of it without applying to 
the owner, who lives some miles from the lake; and without a boat 
you cannot get the Conferva, on account of the edges of the lake 
being inclosed with the Arundo Phragmites, and other tall growing 
water plants. Upon enquiry of the man who kept the boat, 1 
found that the Conferva was principally found at the east end of 
the lake, where a very tiny rill of water runs, or rather oozes into 
the lake, and which, I believe, is quite dried up in hot weather. 
It is a mere land-spring, and there is no outlet from the lake. I 
mention this circumstance to show that the sphericity of the 
plant cannot arise from the action of running water. I detected the 
plant in water varying from a few inches to about two feet in 
depth. I was informed that they are seldom found in deep 
water. Ido not remember seeing any very young specimens : 
what I observed were from about the size of a wallnut to that of 
the largest orange; some grew much larger than this. Allthe 
perfect specimens, whether young or old, were reposing quietly at 
the bottom of the water ; the old specimens, which were hollow m 
the centre, were the only ones that were floating. These were 
very tender and broke to pieces, except with very careful handling ; 
as soon as they rise to the surface, being driven about on the 
surface of the lake, they probably soon fall to pieces. My own 
impression is that the young ones arise from such parts of the old 
ones as still retain vitality, shooting out afresh as soon as they 
become detached from the old plants, and the filaments sending 
out new ones at each articulation. Some grow into a spherical 
form, and becoming solid, sink to the bottom, where they en- 
large by annual accretions, until the centre, by degrees, begms — 
to decay, and the plant becomes hollow. It then rises to the 
surface, is broken by the wind and waves, and the process 
recommences. Such is the impression I derived from the obser- - Ar 
vations I was able make when at thelake. I have often wis eh 
Į was nearer the habitat of the plant, that I might watch 1t 
