Rhodomele^e.'] ehodomela. 287 



on the coast of Ayrshire. The winter and early summer 

 states of this plant are exceedingly different. In winter, 

 when found with perhaps a dozen black branches, more than 

 a foot in length, from one root, closely invested with the 

 numerous stumps of summer branchlets, it might pass for a 

 cluster of black wolves' tails, rather than wolves' feet, as the 

 specific name would lead us to expect, unless the black feet 

 carry the black legs along with them. In early summer it 

 sends forth along the old stem abundance of young branches, 

 which are beautified with numerous feathery tufts of ramuli, 

 causing it greatly to resemble Poli/sijohonia Brodim. The 

 substance in winter is cartilaginous and rigid, and does not 

 adhere to paper in drying ; the colour in that state is very 

 dark. In early summer the branches are quite pliant and 

 rather flaccid, adhere closely to paper, and form a beautiful 

 specimen, of a light brownish-purple colour. In some 

 specimens, collected on the coast of county Down, the frond 

 is twenty inches long, and the lateral branches from six to 

 fourteen : some of the Scotch specimens are equally large. 

 The figure in Hist. Pucorum is good, in the winter state of 

 this plant, though too light in colour. Plate l. in Phyc. 

 Brit, is fjood and instructive. 



