Greviiys hllgce Britdnnicce, 



61 



It would thus appear that the British inarticulated A'lgas 

 form rather more than one fourth of the whole ; but the esti- 

 mate is too high, for our shores have been explored so mi- 

 nutely, that very few can remain for future discovery ; while, 

 on other coasts, hundreds, probably, have as yet blushed un- 

 seen. In the family Florideae are included not much less than 

 half of our native species : they are excellent in beauty and 

 variety, and occur abundantly on all our coasts, though there 

 are among them many which are rare and local. In. the Irish 

 Sea they are amazingly luxuriant. They grow in de^p waters^ 

 or in the crystal pools of a rocky shore ; or tfiey <?lothe the 

 stems of the Laminariae with a rich tapestry »;,.! We >knj^w no- 

 thing among plants more charming, moi^eiex.hjlarating'<to the 

 eye, than the Ptilota, the Bonnemais6n?»i or thei^dwjirable 

 Plocamimii, as they float, spread out in all their, fpli^iess; and 

 look ye where at the bottom of that silver well th^ Pelesserfa 

 spreads her leaves. Saw ye ever such a roseate cirale^ such a 

 gracefulness of leaf, perfect in its outline and undulition ; saw 

 ye ever spch purity and such splendour of colour ?' Nay, my 

 friend, unless thou hast , , q v 



• " Loved to walk where none had walk'd befdrej -^ \. ., , 

 About the rocks that run along the; $hor^,'*|^ ^'^ -^\, . 



and with a tutored eye, thou never before i^^wesi'^i^ticH perfect 

 beauty in* Flora's domain ! And yet, notwithstanding their 

 number, the Florideae exert comparatively little influence on 

 the character of our marine vegetation. The iFutoideae, the 

 Laminarieae, and the ([/Ivaceae are the families which more 

 particularly give this character. The former, numerous in 

 individuals, and very valuable, as from them kelp is princi- 

 pally made, occupy with their blackness all the space between 



