CONFERVA LIMOSA. 



C. filamcmis fimplicibus, tenuiffimis, brevibus, mucofis, denfiffime com- 

 paftis caeruleo-viridefcentibus lubricis ; diflepimentis indiflinclis. * 



C. gelatinofa, omnium tenerrima & minima aquarum limo innafcens. Dill. Mufc. 

 p. 15. T. 2. f. 5. Ray, Syn. p. 477. 



On the muddy edges of Rivers, Ditches and Ponds. 



^ THOUGH hardly any Conferva is more abundant than the prefent, efpecially 

 In Spring and Autumn, it appears neverthelefs to have remained unarranged in 

 the fyftem, fince the days of Dillenius and Ray—It generally grows upon the 

 mud, left at the edges of pools or ditches, prefenting to the naked eye, except 

 immediately at the margin where it is fibrous, a widely expanded, thin, fhapelefs 

 gelatinous mafs, refembling a tremella, of a very dark and glofly hue ; fometimes 

 too it floats upon the furface of the water, and is confpicuous by its dark green 

 velvety appearance. In either cafe, the only mode to examine it is to carry it 

 home, without allowing it to dry, and put it in a pan of water, where, though 

 when firft immerfed, its filaments are fo thickly matted that they cannot be difen- 

 tangled, yet in the fpace of a night it will (hoot out an immenfe quantity of 

 threads, vifible to the naked eye only from their number. The aid of a rhicrp- 

 fcope is necefTary to obferve them properly, and, thus examined, d^ey prefent a 

 curious appearance, for their length is not more than half an inch; they are obtufe 

 at each end, and lie eroding each other without any apparent order-feme indeed 

 feem even to be wholly unconnefted with the reft. If the higheft power of a 

 good glafs be applied, they feem to be jointed in an irregular manner, but dais 

 apparent irregularity is probably occasioned by the want of fufficient magnifiers, 

 which, if we poffefled, I am of opinion we mould find that the length of the joints 

 is about equal to their breadth,as I have often faintly difcerned two or more con- 

 tiguous joints of thefe dimenfions. When the interior fubftance has collapfed 



