GROWTH OF PLANTS. 277 



work was published, cultivators of the Marine Aqua- 

 rium have succeeded in propagating both plants and 

 animals of many species. The lowest forms of the 

 green Algge, — the ConfervadcB^ — presented no diffi- 

 culty from the first, but the growth of large fronds 

 of TJlva^ and of dense tufts of Bryopsis plumosa, did 

 not occur till after some experience. Both of these 

 now grow profusely in my older Tanks ; the young 

 fronds of the former, which is an annual plant, 

 appearing early in the winter, and increasing during 

 the summer, so as almost to fill the vessel, and re- 

 quiring to be freely thinned out by hand. The 

 Bryopsis is wayward. In some tanks it will gTOW 

 luxuriantly, and (as it seems) spontaneously, while 

 in others it refuses to shoot. It appears with me 

 especially to favour the artificial water. 



In June 1854 I published, in the "Annals of 

 Natural History," my observations on the first growth 

 of the Eed Algse in confinement. This growth was 

 confined to the increase of old specimens by the push- 

 ing forth of fresh shoots ; but since then I have 

 had several specimens of Chondrus crispus spring- 

 ing from the surface of the glass sides of the Tank, 

 and also of Corallina officinalis in the same situation. 

 Both these were, of course, the produce of spores self- 

 sown. I have also, at the present time (June 1856), 

 plants of Chondrus crispus, Phyllopliora ruhens, Floca- 

 mium coccineum, a fine Ceramium, and several other 

 Rhodospermece, in a growing state. 



But all my specimens are insignificant compared 

 with those that have appeared in one of the Zoolo- 

 gical Society's Tanks in the Keo-ent's Park. The 



