of the Floridez and Corallinez. 119 
If iodized water be brought into contact with globules placed in 
alcohol, we see a certain number of the granules situated on 
the line of meeting of the two liquids suddenly burst, and throw 
out around them their contents, reduced to the form of very 
small granules, which become blue, whilst the torn membrane 
is of a pale violet colour. 
When heated in water to near 158° Fahr. the globules swell, 
become partially dissolved, and at the same time acquire a fine 
violet colour. A drop of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid immedi- 
ately gives a violet or blue tint to the granules which have been 
reddened by iodine, but at the same time dissolves them partially, 
swells them up, and tears them. Potash also dissolves them. 
Hypochlorite of lime alters them rapidly ; in twenty-four hours 
there remain of most of the granules only the outermost layers 
isolated from each other; in thirty-six hours all has disappeared. 
Acetic acid and ammonia have no action upon them. 
Thus these globules present all the characters of starch in 
their form, structure, and optical properties, and in the action 
exerted upon them by hot water, acids, and alkalies; but they 
differ from amylaceous grains as these are defined, by their 
acquiring a red colour with iodine. However, they are easily 
converted into common starch under the ordinary influences 
which I have just described, but with the condition that they 
become disorganized and partially dissolved. This difference, 
which is not sufficient to warrant the employment of a new 
name, leads to the supposition that we have to do with a hydro- 
carbonated principle isomeric with cellnlose and starch, but in- 
termediate between them by its cohesion. 
After the details mto which I have entered with regard to 
Halopithys pinastroides, Kiitz., 1 can only say a few words of 
the starch-grains of other Floridee; but I must make special 
mention of the Polysiphonia, because the amylaceous formation 
in them presents a new character, which, indeed, occurs very 
frequently elsewhere, but less evidently. In Polysiphonia ni- 
grescens, Grev., which I shall take as an example, the joints of 
the axis never contain anything but a finely granular liquid; 
the flattened cells of the siphons, on the contrary, and the corti- 
cal cells each contain a coherent mass of spherical globules, which 
entirely fills them. These globules, the diameter of which is 
pretty uniformly 0:007 millim., do not scatter themselves in the 
liquid which bathes the sections, but the entire masses issue in 
their cells. By applying pressure to them we may succeed in 
breaking them up into several fragments; but their elements, 
which have a strong mutual adherence, do not separate; when 
their margin is carefully examined, they are seen to be surrounded 
by a continuous membrane, which is rendered yellow by iodine ; 
