THE SEA-SHORE. 179 



six feet in length. The Tangle was only about 

 two feet long. It is to be observed, that the spe- 

 cimens here alluded to, were taken from that part 

 of the surface of the rock which had been dressed 

 off with the pick or chisel the preceding autumn ; 

 they had therefore grown from the seed." 



The plant called Sea-laces, or Sea-whips, affords 

 a remarkable example of an elongated stem, which 

 sends out neither branches nor leaves throughout 

 its whole extent. It consists of a simple tube, of 

 about the thickness of whip -cord, hollow and in- 

 ternally jointed. The cavities are filled with air, 

 and serve to keep the plant buoyant. It often 

 attains the length of thirty or forty feet, and 

 grows in such abundance as sometimes to impede 

 the progress of boats, as the extremities rise to 

 the surface wherever the water is sufficiently shal- 

 low to allow them. 



These two grow only in places which are rarely 

 or never deserted by the water; but there are 

 very many species which grow on parts of the sea- 

 coast that are uncovered at every ebb of the tide. 

 One of the most abundant of these is the Knotted 

 Fucus* called, from the quantity of kelp which 

 it contains, kelp-wrack. It is easily distinguished 

 by the large oblong air-vessels or bladders, ex- 

 ternally resembling berries, which are scattered 

 throughout the whole of its length. These serve 

 the same purpose as the hollow tube of the last 

 mentioned, and are largest and most numerous 

 when the plant grows in deep water, for then it 

 attains a very great length, and would seem to 

 require more support. They are sometimes made 



* Fucus nodosus. 



