VEGETATION OF SEA-WEEDS. 25 



returned to the sea as a reward for their good behaviour. 

 Before I granted manumission to the beautiful Nudi- 

 branchs^ I had observed at the bottom and on the sides of 

 the tumbler the growth of young Algse. The first tliat I 

 observed were grass-green, consisting of simple filaments 

 without any visible joints. Many of these at the end of 

 five months are still alive, but during the cokl winter 

 months they have not. increased in size, and though they 

 are visible by the naked eye, they are not above a line 

 in length. There are one or two of the same size of a 

 reddish -purple colour. There were also a number of little 

 dense tufts of a brownish-olive colour, the crowded filaments 

 of which were like those of Sjohacelaria, but terminating in 

 white hairs longer than the filaments, but so fine as to be 

 invisible to the naked eye. They answered in some degree 

 the description in Harvey's Manual of Cludopliora BerJce- 

 leyi\ yet if the name means hristle-hearhig, it would not 

 correspond, for the fine white tippings of the filaments are too 

 flexible and waving to be called setaceous. In the body of the 

 water there were a few long filaments almost colourless, finer 

 than human hair, and so limberthat they bent under the weight 

 of the almost invisible infusoria, when they rested from their 

 sportive gambols. Then there were others that were just 



