8 



Mr. Wonfor, harvest-bug and eggs, Trombidium, 

 eggs of insects, and a new Ceylon hemipterous 

 insect, at present unnamed*; Mr. Cooper, sec- 

 tions of wood and seeds of plants. 



Oct. 8.— On " Sea- Weeds," by Mr. Wonfor.— The chief 

 reason for introducing the subject was to try 

 and induce some members of the Society to take 

 up a branch of study often neglected by resi- 

 dents at the sea-side. At Brighton might be 

 collected over 180 varieties of plants, which for 

 a long time lay under the ban as being noxious 

 and useless ; while, perhaps, no class of plants 

 affords more products than sea-weeds. Thus 

 food, fuel, medicine, and many substances em- 

 ployed in the arts were obtained from them. 

 Among other examples might be mentioned 

 Irish moss, abundant on our shores ; laver, 

 esteemed a delicious sauce ; kelp, a substance 

 formerly used in glass making ; iodine, so 

 valuable as a medical agent, as well as service- 

 able to the photographer ; a gum almost equal 

 to gum Arabic ; mannite, &c. The Chinese 

 make jellies, sweetmeats, and glue from some 

 kinds; and there is little doubt that many sea- 

 weeds, not yet utilized, might be made to pro- 

 duce nutritious food. The structure and growth 

 were next described, as well as the modes of re- 

 production, while it was pointed out that many 

 sea-weeds appeared to be most luxuriant during 

 the winter months. A collection of dried sea- 

 weeds and microscopic preparations were ex- 

 hibited to illustrate the paper. 



* Since aamed Tingis Sybtricellua, 



