rapidly diminish in diameter, as compared with the set from which they 

 spring, and the ultimate divisions are barely setaceous, almost capillary. 

 All, to the smallest, are completely clothed with cortical cellules, without 

 trace of articulation. Ramelli are only found on the ultimate setaceous 

 branchlets, and only on their upper half ; they are densely crowded, exces- 

 sively slender, and very soft, but tough and not soon decaying in fresh-water, 

 2-3 lines long and repeatedly dichotomous, of a rosy colour. The coiicep- 

 tacles are of small size, as compared with other species, and sessile on the 

 setaceous branchlets ; their mouth not very prominent, and the nucleus not 

 much branched. The sticUdia are generally solitary on the ramelli, and 

 taper from a broad base to a fine point. The colour is a rosy-red, sometimes 

 purplish. The substance is tough, and notwithstanding the great softness 

 and lubricity of the whole frond, it may be kept for a considerable time in 

 fresh-water " without decomposing. In drying, this plant adheres very 

 closely to paper. 



The genus Basya reaches its maximum of development on 

 the Australian coasts, and among the many species there abound- 

 ing the present may rank as the most softly beautiful and flow- 

 ing. Our figure merely represents one of the lateral branches 

 of a frond, which, fully displayed, would cover a sheet of double- 

 elephant paper. It is best seen however floating in clear water, 

 where every cobwebby filament stands apart, greatly increasing 

 the feathery character. 



Among the Austrahan kinds it is perhaps nearest to B. villosa, 

 but besides differences in the ramification and fruit, it abun- 

 dantly differs in substance. D. villosa rapidly dissolves and falls 

 to pieces if thrown into fresh-water ; but D. hapalathrix may be 

 steeped with little injury for a couple of days. D. villosa is 

 gelatinoso- cartilaginous ; D. hapalatlmx tough, though very soft. 

 Both vary in colour, but B. hapalathrix is usually the brightest. 



Fig. 1. Dasya iiAPALATHRix ; ouc of the lateral branches, and a fragment 

 of the stem, the natural size. 2. A ramulus with conceptacles; 3. A con- 

 ceptacle. 4. A ramulus with stichidia. 5. A stichidium : — the latter figures 

 more or less magnified. 



