THE SHORES OF BRITAIN. 53 



might be made sufficiently strong. However, an 

 ingenious chemical friend (the Rev. W. Gregor) 

 assures me he has procured a fine lake from an 

 infusion of it by means of alum." 



One or two species of the genus Porphyra are 

 brought to our tables, stewed under the name of 

 Laver, and are thought a delicacy. Mr. Drummond 

 informs us that P. laciniata, called Sloke in Ireland, 

 is gathered during the winter months only, the fronds 

 being too tough in the summer. After being pro- 

 perly cleaned, it is stewed with a little butter, to 

 prevent its getting a burnt flavour, and is brought to 

 Belfast, where it is sold by measure usually at the 

 rate of flvepence per quart. Before being brought 

 to table, it is again heated with an additional quan- 

 tity of butter, and is usually eaten with vinegar and 

 pepper. P. vulgaris is worthy of notice on account 

 of the extreme difficulty with which it is preserved 

 in a herbarium in a complete state: "not that there 

 is any difficulty in spreading and going through the 

 other steps of the process, but because when it has 

 nearly arrived at the last stage of drying, a moment's 

 exposure to the air will cause it to contract so in- 

 stantaneously, that the edges of the paper are imme- 

 diately drawn towards each other; and if attempted 

 to be restored without the whole being first damped, 

 the specimen tears through the middle, and becomes 

 of little value. The edges of the plant adhere strongly 

 to the paper when dry, or nearly so; but the centre 

 does not adhere at all, and being as fine as gold- 

 beater's leaf, though having considerable strength, 

 it at once loses the little moisture it possesses, on 



£2 



