CONFERVA FCETIDA. 



C. filamentis ramofis, flaccidis, virgatis, coadunatis, apicibus liberis ; 

 ramis confertis fub-dichotomis ; diffepimentis obfoletis, articulis 

 longiufculis granula elliptica folitaria includcntibus. 



Ulva foetida, Vaucher. Hiftoire des Conferves d'eau douce, p. 244. t. 17. f. 3. 



Stagnant Pools in the Salt Marfhes at Cley, Norfolk •, Mr. Hooker. Bantry 

 Bay ; Mifs Hutchlns. Among the Rocks near low water mark, under the 

 Mumbles Light-Houfe, Glamorganfhire. 



IN the early part of laft June I difcovered this curious production of nature, 

 growing under the Mumbles Light-Houfe, in a pool left by the tide, near low 

 water mark, where, had not the tide receded unufually low, it would not have 

 been expofed to view. This I at firft fuppofed to be its natural fituation, and 

 the caufe of its not having been previoufly difcovered, but I have fince learnt 

 that Mr. Hooker had gathered it two months before, in the fait marines above 

 mentioned, and had afcertained it to be the plant defcribed and figured by 

 Vaucher. C. fcetida, therefore, feems to poffefs an unufual indifference with 

 refpect to its place of growth, for, he fays, " Elle fe rencontre dans touts les 

 eaux fraiches et courantes des petits ruiffeaux." I have not ventured on intro- 

 ducing it as a vegetable without confiderable hefitation, on account of its ftrong 

 peculiar oily * fmell, refembling that of fome of the zoophites, but the eye, 

 even when affifted with the higheft powers of a microfcope, cannot difcover any 



* The remark made by Vaucher upon the fmell of this plant, agrees almoft exactly with what 1 

 had obferved before I had any idea of my plant being the fame as his. He fays, " L'odeur qu'elle 

 repand est tres forte, et reffemble aui odeurs anima'.es et furtout a celle des corps qui commencent 

 a entrer en putrefaction." 



'5 



