152 



SEAWEEDS. 



which are divided into forked lobes, and often edged 

 with a fringe of tiny notches. N. punctatum grows to 

 a large size in Ireland, being sometimes three feet broad. 

 Dr Landsborough proposes it as a mantle for mermaids. 

 Only the pretty and familiar Plocamium coccineum 



(Plate II, fig. \ 8), was now 

 wanting to complete our Deles- 

 seria order, and the coast of 

 Arran afforded us a nice speci- 

 men, and others were added 

 afterwards at Ardrossan. This 

 weed is the only one of the 

 order with a thread-shaped 

 frond, and it is plentifully 

 branched, and each branch is set 

 with abundance of alternate threads. The branches and 

 threads are flattened, which makes this plant very easy 

 to spread ; and its beautiful rosy hue and elegant form, 

 make it very desirable for collections and sea weed 

 pictures. Its name signifies intertwined hair, suitable 

 because of the interlacing branches. Formerly this weed 

 used to be so eagerly sought for as article of sale for the 

 above mentioned pictures, that many poor people on the 

 coast gained their living by collecting it. Certainly this 

 family might appropriately use the lines of the poet — 



TWO KINDS OF FRUIT OF 

 PLOCAMIU.M. 



" Oh call us not weeds, Ave are flowers of the sea, 

 For lovely, and gay, and bright- tinted are we. 

 ( hir hlusb is as bright as the rose of thy bowers, 

 So call us not weeds — we are ocean's gay flowers. 

 And gay are our homes, 'neath the deep rolling uaves ;' 

 AVherc we bloom mid the rocks and the coral formed caves. 



