92 Dr. GooDENouGH and Mr. Woodward'j Obfervatiom on 



the confequence of the internal laceration of the fubftance, as the 

 part becomes dilated into the veficle, which is, generally fpeaking, 

 the mere organ of buoyancy, very rarely of frudlification. We 

 have feen thefe threads of different forms, fize and texture, in pro- 

 portion to the enlargement of the. veficle. If analogy muft be re- 

 forted to, thefe threads ought rather to be confidered as neSlarta than 

 any thing elfe belonging to the fru£l:ification : but, in fa6l, the whole 

 idea is fo vague and inconclufive, that nothing but the name of 

 the illuftrious author could have fupported it for a moment ; and 

 even were it confirmed, there are very few fpecies which could be 

 made at all to agree with the defcription. 



We fliould objeft to the charafter oiUlva for two reafons — Firft, 

 he hy9> fruBificationes, without naming what fort ; and then, becaufe 

 he adds, in membrand diaphand; according to which, all the Fuel of 

 the d^w'iiionfronde plana avenia muft be denominated Utvie. 



We muft objeft to Conferva, becaufe, from his term tubercula /W- 

 qualia infronde capillari, all the Fuci with capillary branches muft be 

 included, particularly F. purpurafcens, to name no more. Add to 

 this, that on the Conferva of the firft and fecond divifion, as well as 

 on feveral of the geniculated ones, no tubercles have ever yet been 

 obferved. They confecjuently do not at all agree with the charader ; 

 nor are the fimple-threaded Confervce in any way diftinguiftied from 

 the filamentofe Byji^ except by the totally inadmiflible defcription, 

 fhrh longiffimis. 



The genus 'Tremella we fhall pafs by, as not conne£led with our 

 prefent plan. Linnaeus, forming the eflential chara6lers partly 

 from external habit, and partly from frudification, confidered thofe 

 jSlgce which were gelatinous as fremellcc^ and thofe which were 

 membranaceous as l]lv<z. But as the eflential charafters which we 

 fhall propofe are taken from the fru6lification folely, fuch gelati- 



7 nous. 



