(2) 



elongate, obovate, and obtuse, becoming still broader in age until the 

 outline is almost round, and the tapering summit, and even the base, 

 is entirely lost. In young specimens the margin is entirely or almost 

 flat — in old specimens excessively full and waved, as if the outer part of 

 the frond had entirely outgrown the midrib, which is often proliferous in 

 old plants. Fructification produced in winter and spring on the old 

 naked midribs. Tubercles spherical, stalked, unilateral, containing a 

 dense mass of ovate spores. Tetraspores triparted, immersed in small 

 leaf-like processes (sporophylla) ; both kinds of fruit are common. Struc- 

 ture entirely composed of minute roundish, coloured cells, except the 

 central portion of the midrib, where they are large, ovate, and colourless. 

 Substance rather cartilaginous, when old not adhering very tenaciously 

 to paper. Colour, a fine crimson pink, darker in age. 



This fine species, both on account of the brilliancy of its colouring 

 and the elegance of its form, is one of the most attractive and generally 

 admired of om- native marine flora. In size it is the largest of the 

 genus, often reaching to the length of ten or twelve inches, but average 

 specimens are not more than from four to six inches. Nor is it less 

 common than beautiful, being found in almost every deep, shady rock- 

 pool on all our shores, larger and finer in deep, sheltered spots, where it 

 is less liable to be torn by the storm, which its thin delicate fronds are 

 but ill suited to resist, so that it is often no easy matter to find a large 

 specimen free from laceration. In the month of May they may be 

 found about half grown, quite entire, and the colours fresh and beautiful ; 

 but as the summer advances they become more or less torn, and in 

 autumn and winter are often cast on the beach in large biniches, con- 

 sisting of several dozens of fronds, and are then a tempting bait to the 

 young algologist who may see the plant for the first time ; but no sooner 

 has he commenced to analyse his prize than he finds every leaf split 

 across to the midiib into innumerable narrow lacinia^, consisting of one, 

 two, or tlu'ee veins, margined with a narrow membrane, the only remains 

 of the frond. 



We have seen the frond occasionally divided at the summit, each 

 portion being fm'nished with its con-espondent division of the midiib, 

 and Professor Harvey mentions a stiU more cm-ious and extraordinary 

 variety, having the "frond divided in a manner between palmate and 

 pinnate into several deep undulated lobes, whose apices are again lobed." 



These forms, however, are purely accidental, and may be often caused 

 by some accidental injury done to the frond during the earlier stages of 

 its growth. 



It delights in deep shady pools, and generally under the shelter or 

 shade of some overhanging crag, as it is very impatient of the direct 



