(lOS) 



lated filaments, with joints rather longer than broad, the apical one 

 much enlarged and spherical at maturity. Fructification : obovate spores 

 surrounded with a narrow pellucid limbus, and attached to the filaments 

 of the periphery near the base. Substance somewhat cartilaginous, very 

 soft and lubricous on the outside, and closely adhering to the paper, to 

 which it communicates a brownish stain. Colour, a very dark greenish 

 brown. 



This species is by no means of rare occurrence in tide-pools, and in 

 the little channels which issue from them, forming often large flagelli- 

 form bundles ; a ntimber often grow together in society, but never or 

 rarely from the same root. 



The main stem is generally simple, but in luxuriant specimens some- 

 times repeatedly divided, each division forming a distinct, much branched, 

 flagelliform frond of its own. Occasionally also one or more of the 

 branches assumes the form of the primary, and becomes covered with 

 numerous branches in a similar manner, but most frequently they 

 are simple, with here and there a short, simj)le, or forked ramulus ; occa- 

 sionally, too, the primary branches are forked at their apices, and we 

 have seen specimens in which they arose mostly in fascicles from the same 

 point, giving the plant a very singular appearance. We are informed in 

 Fhyc. Brit, that this species was at one time confounded with Gracilaria 

 confervoides, with which, however, it will be readily seen that it only 

 agrees in the external appearance of the filiform frond. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE CLXVII. 



Fig. 1. — Chordaria Jlaffelliformis, natural size. 

 2. — Transverse section of frond. 

 3. — Longitudinal section of same. 

 4. — Filaments of the periphery. 

 5. — Spores. All magnified. 



