as Dr. Smith obferves, are nearly pear-fhaped, being much fwollen towards the 

 apex, and about thrice as long as broad. Mr. Borrer, whofe opinion in all 

 matters relating to cryptogamcus plants is entitled to great deference, informs 

 me that the fructification " confifis of a mafs of feeds not enclofed in any 

 membranous capfule whatever, but immerfed in a jelly, fometimes forming a 

 whirl in the contractions of the filament, and fometimes a lateral knob in the 

 fame fituation."* The fpecimens which I gathered at Cowes produced an 

 abundance of both whirled and lateral fruit, but the refult of a long invefti- 

 gation which I gave them, differed widely from the foregoing. The lateral 

 .knobs appeared to be perfect capfules, round all of which a tranfparent limbus- 

 was readily obforvable, and I faw feeds efcape from the apex of one precifely 

 as in C. rubra, and the generality of the marine fpecies. In fome plants the 

 capfules feemed to be compofed of three or more cells, refembling thofe of 

 Euphorbia, and I thought I obferved fome of the whirls to be formed by a 

 number of fimilar cells difpofed round the diffephnent?, and thus forming a 

 kind of polylocular capfule. Though the fhape and appearance of thefe whirls 

 differed materially from each other, I never doubted that they were true cap- 

 fules till I received Mr. Borrer's letter ; and I am certain that a well defined 

 pellucid limbus furrounded all that I examined, though frequently the feeds and 

 mucus which had efcaped fo adhered to the outfide of the capfule as almoft to 

 cover it, and had I not been well acquainted with that gentleman's accuracy, 

 I fhould have imagined that this circumftance had deceived and induced him to 

 believe that no feed veffel exifted. The whirled and lateral fructification arc 

 fometimes, though not generally found on the fame plant, and both are always 

 fubtended by an involucrum of feveral obtufe, jointlefs, incurved leaves. This 

 production of different kinds of fruit is far from being confined to C. corallina. 

 I am informed that three have been difcovered on C. fetucea, which is nearly 

 allied to the prefent fpecies, and Mr. Borrer remarks, " I fhould not be fur- 

 prized by any variety of fructification in the marine algas, having myfelf found 

 4>n Fucus pinaftroides no lefs than four kinds." Refpecting the red granules 



• See Ens;. Bot. t. 181ft 



