THE CYSTOSEIRA. 9^ 



glides smoothly along, a biisli here and there of large 

 size springing from the bottom, conspicuons above 

 the olive and pui'ple bed of common weeds by its 

 light greenish gTey colom-. These are the plants in 

 question. It is difficult to procm*e a growing speci- 

 men, for the rocks to which the plants are attached 

 are here all rather large and heavy masses, and the 

 depth of water even at low-tide prevents the use of 

 the hammer and chisel. By means of a boat-hook, 

 however, I have torn up considerable portions of a 

 shrub, from wdiich I have then carefully severed un- 

 injured branches, which, being bound to the surface 

 of a shell or stone, survived some time in an Aquarium, 

 and displayed their remarkable gorgeousness of colour 

 to gTeat advantage. ~None of this is visible when the 

 specimen is removed from the water ; it is a shrub 

 with stout compact branches of a pale yellowish-olive 

 hue, set with needle-like leaves, whence its trivial 

 name of ericoides or " heath-like ;" while another 

 marked character is the swelling of the branches into 

 oval air-bladders, which, though solitary in this species, 

 more generally rim in strings of several in succession, 

 as indicated by the generic name Cystoseira or " blad- 

 der cliainy But the moment the plant is submerged 

 all its glory retm-ns : the pale olive branches become 

 invested with a most brilliant flush of iridescent lisrht 

 blue, not changeable in tint, though varying in inten- 

 sity according to the play of light that falls upon it. 

 Thus it may be compared to some Christians, who 

 are dull and profitless in prosperity, but whose gi-aces 

 shine out gloriously when they are plunged into the 

 deep floods of affliction. 



