144 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



in other seas: for example, in the Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans, as appears in the "Journal of Researches," 

 by Darwin, and from unpublished documents of Dr. 

 Hinds, from which the following is extracted. 



"Dr. Hinds, who sailed in the ship SulpJiur, sent 

 to explore the western coasts of North America, first 

 observed on the nth of February, 1836, near the 

 Abrolhos Islands, the same alga, doubtless, which 

 Darwin saw at the same date. This alga was again 

 seen many days running. Some specimens of it 

 having been brought to Dr. Hinds, he perceived that 

 a penetrating odour escaped from it, which had before 

 been thought to come from the ship ; this odour 

 much resembled that which exhales from damp hay. 

 In April, 1837, the Sulphur being at anchor at 

 Libertad, near St. Salvador, in the Pacific, Dr. Hinds 

 again saw the same algae. A land breeze drove it 

 for three days in very thick masses about the ship. 

 The sea exhibited the same aspect as at the Abrolhos 

 Islands, but the smell was still more penetrating and 

 disagreeable ; it caused in a great many persons an 

 irritation of the conjunctiva, followed by an abundant 

 secretion of tears. Dr. Hinds himself experienced it. 

 The alga in question constitutes a distinct species of 

 TricJiodesmium {T. Hindsii). It differs from that of 

 the Red Sea, both in dimensions and smell." ^ 



Darwin's account is a brief one, for he says, "When 

 not far distant from the Abrolhos Islets, my 

 attention was called to a reddish-brown appearance 

 in the sea. The whole surface of the water, as it 



' Comptes Rendiis, July 15, 1844; Annals and Mag. Nat. Hisl. 

 (Sept., 1844), vol. xiv, p. 225. 



