168 SEAWEEDS. 



fronds, parasitic on red seaweed ; and a velvet-like 

 species, growing as a coating on muddy shores, but we 

 have found no specimens of these. 



The Conferva order comes next, taking its name from 

 a Latin word meaning to consolidate, because some of 

 the old practitioners made use of the true Confervae to 

 bind up broken limbs, a use to which their softness and 

 power of retaining moisture well adapted them. The 

 plants in this order are formed of simple or branched 

 threads, green in colour, and articulated. 



The fronds of the first family (Cladophora) are much 

 branched. The Eock species (C. rupestris, Cut I., Jig. 4) 

 was growing abundantly in the tide pools at Hastings, 

 and we had also found it in similar places at Arran and 

 on the Firth of Forth. The colour varies from dark 

 green to olive, or pale sage. The fronds are bushy, with 

 numerous rigid branches, these again clothed with branch- 

 lets, pressed close to the stem. It is a pretty weed for 

 ornamental work, forming, with zoophyte cases, shells 

 and other weeds, pretty groups to place under a glass 

 shade. 



The Angular Cladophora (C. rectangularis, Cut I., 

 Jig. 5), is a very rare species, only thrown up during the 

 summer months in southern shores. The specimen in 

 our collection was found by Mrs. Griffiths. The more 

 slender fronds of C. diffusa, we found at Arran, but 

 slightly branched, and only tufted towards the tips. C. 

 gracilis we also found there in rock pools, growing in 

 dense tufts, the thread-like branches waving in the water, 

 and looking like a film of yellow green. The colour 

 faded somewhat in drying, but the specimens continued 



