132 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



when dried and expanded on white paper or on 

 the pearly white inner surface of a large shell, 

 this plant is highly pleasing from the delicacy and 

 beauty of its structure. 



Probably the delesseria is the most beautiful 

 of all the order to which it belongs. The Deles- 

 seria sanguined bears large leaves of extreme 

 delicacy, and in shape resembling those of the 

 red dock, and of a rich rose-red colour, with the 

 margins waved or plaited. This plant is less 

 common than the preceding, and is sometimes 

 found attached by its roots to the larger kinds of 

 algae as well as to the rocks. Another species of 

 delesseria is the D. sinuosa or oak-leaved delesse- 

 ria. The colour of this plant is claret-red, and it 

 is a remarkably beautiful plant. 



The Nitophyllum, of which there are likewise 

 several kinds, is a very fine sea-weed. The colour 

 is a rich purple lake in some of the species, which 

 becomes brighter when dried, in others it is deep 

 crimson, and in others a delicate rose-pink. The 

 fronds in this plant are reticulated, membrana- 

 ceous, and without veins. 



Another plant of this class not uncommon is 

 the Rhodomenia palmata or dulse. It is of a' 

 fine purplish red colour. The fronds, which grow 

 in tufts, are flat and so divided as to represent in 

 a rude manner the form of the human hand, a 

 circumstance giving origin to the term palmata. 



The Chrondus crispus, or crisped chrondus, is 

 another plant meriting attention. It is frequent 

 on rocky shores, and is found in great abundance 



