120 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



from the great mildness of the winter, the consequently 

 smaller elevation of the water of the lake being also 

 favourable to the development of the matter, evidently 

 organic, which caused the redness. 



During the early hours of the day the lake pre- 

 sented nothing remarkable, but soon after there 

 appeared long, red, very regular and parallel lines 

 along its borders, and at some distance from the 

 shore ; the breezes urged this matter into the little 

 creeks, and heaped it up around the reeds. There 

 it covered the surface of the lake like a fine reddish 

 scum, forming patches of colours varying from 

 greenish black to a beautiful red. It 'was also seen 

 of every shade of yellow, red, and grey ; some of the 

 patches were marbled, and others presented figures 

 much resembling those produced by positive elec- 

 tricity on the electrophorus. During the day this 

 mass exhaled an infectious odour, but during the 

 night all disappeared, to be renewed on the following 

 day. 



When the lake was agitated by strong winds the 

 phenomenon disappeared, but again presented itself 

 on the re-establishment of a calm. Many species of 

 fish, as perch and pike, probably from having eaten 

 of this matter, had their bones and flesh tinged red, 

 as if they had been fed on madder, but without any 

 inconvenience. The particular alga in this instance 

 was called Oscillaria rnhcscens} 



A similar experience is related by P. H. Gosse as 

 having occurred to him within a very limited space, 



• De CandoUe, in Alhnoires de la Societe de Physique et dHistoin 

 NaitircUe et Geiih/e, vol. iii, p, 29 ; Aun, Nat, Hist., vol. i. p. 4. 



