98 BRITISH SEA-"^'EEDS. {^lelauospermea. 



ralists could wish, not iinfrequeutly bottle up some of the 

 gulf-weed as a curiosity for their friends at home. One 

 might at first think that floating meadows of many miles in 

 extent could be of no service in the middle of the ocean ; 

 but they probably support a greater number of living crea- 

 tures than the richest and most extensive meadows in 

 Britain. They afl'ord both food and shelter to myriads upon 

 myriads of MoUusca, Eadiata, Fishes, Crustaceans, &c.^ 

 many dJjU^hich are seen playing about, making excursions 

 into the surrounding deep, returning to w^anton and hunt 

 amongst the branches, or to rest on them as their home. 

 Many, however, of these living things are parasitical, and 

 attach themselves to the Sea-weeds " for better or for 

 worse/' So long as the Sargassjim floats, they are safe, 

 and are without any effort on their part transported by it 

 from place to place ; when the gulf-weed by currents and 

 tempests is wrecked, they perish along with it. AVhen 

 specimens of gulf-weed come in their way, let my young 

 friends scrutinize them, if they admire zoophytes. Not un- 

 frequently have I observed the whole of the berry-like air- 

 vessels covered with the finest lace-work, the production of 

 little Polypes, forming a much more delicate Flnstra than 

 anv found in our British seas. I have often seen also the 



