CONFERVA COMOIDES. 



C. filamentis tenuibus, raraofis : ramis fparfis, remotiufculis, apice 

 acuminatis : diflepimentis parura contra&is, fere obfoletis. 



On feveral of the marine algte and rocks in the fea at Swanfea. 



THIS fpecies I believe to be extremely common on our mores, though it 

 appears hitherto to have been entirely overlooked, or perhaps confidered as the 

 feedling of C. littoralis, to which it bears fo great a refemblance that it is not 

 without hefitation I have ventured upon publifhing it as diftincT: ; though from 

 repeated obfervation I have found its chara&eriftic marks fo conftant, that, if 

 not fpecifically different, it muft at leaft be allowed to be a mod fingular 

 variety : and, in the prefent ftate of our knowledge of thefe plants, I conceive 

 nothing more can be expected from any author, nor indeed any thing be done 

 more favourable to the advancement of fcience, than, by giving faithful figures and 

 defcriptions of what we fee, to ftore up materials for future naturalifts to work 

 upon. The naked eye may readily diftinguifti the two plants, by the fmaller fize 

 of C. comoides, which feldom exceeds an inch in length, and its deeper color, 

 either of, or approaching to, a purple brown. Under the microfcope their diffe- 

 rent ftrudture is fuch, that I hope it will not be poffible to confound them. 

 The prefent fpecies grows on marine flones and algs, and frequently fo covers 

 the round pebbles which abound among the rocks with its flender hair-like tufts, 

 lying one over the other, as to give them a ftriking refemblance to the head of an 

 infant. The branches are rather irregular, and not fo numerous as in C. 

 littoralis ; but, as in that fpecies, they originate at very acute angles, and are 

 acuminate at their apices. The diffepiments being extremely faint, it is al- 

 moft impoflible to afcertain the fize of their joints, but their length always 



