26 HANDBOOK OF SEA-WEEDS. 



water. He can then work to the lowest point safely, and, re- 

 tiring before the approaching tide, examine the higher part of 

 the beach up to high water mark. If the coarse weeds in the 

 rock pools and chinks are turned back, many rare and delicate 

 Algae will be found growing under them, especially at the lowest 

 level. The most effective method of collecting the plants of 

 deeper water is by dredging, or going round with a boat at the 

 extreme ebb, and taking them from the rocks and from the 

 Laminaria stems, on which a great number have their station. 

 Stems of Laminaria thrown out by the waves should also be 

 carefully examined. In all cases the weed should be well rinsed 

 in a clear rock pool before being put away in the bag or other 

 receptacle. 



The next thing to be considered is the laying out and pre- 

 serving of the specimens selected for the herbarium. Wherever 

 possible these should be laid out on paper, and put under pres- 

 sure as soon as gathered, or on the same day at all events. 

 When this is impracticable, they may be spread between the 

 folds of soft and thick towels and rolled up. Thus treated the 

 most delicate plants will keep fresh until next day. Another 

 way is to pack the plants in layers of salt, like herrings ; but 

 the most usual method of roughly preserving sea-weeds collected 

 during an unprepared visit to the shore is by modei'ately drying 

 them in an airy room out of the direct rays of the sun. They 

 are then to be placed lightly in bags, and afterwards relaxed by 

 immersion and prepared in the usual way. The finer plants, 

 however, suffer more or less by this delay. If carried directly 

 home from the sea the plants should be emptied into a vessel of 

 sea-water. A flat dish, about fourteen inches square and three 

 deep, is then to be filled with clean water. For most plants 

 this may be fresh, for some it is essential that it should be salt. 

 Some of the Polysiphonias and others begin to decompose at 

 once if placed in fresh water. The Grifnthsias burst and let 

 out their colouring matter, and a good many change their colour. 

 The appliances required are some fine \vhite paper good print- 

 ing demy, thirty-six pounds or so in weight per ream, does very 

 well, an ample supply of smooth blotting paper, the coarse 

 paper used by grocers and called "sugar royal," or, best of 

 all, Bentall's botanical drying paper, pieces of well-washed 

 book muslin, a camel's hair brush, a bodkin for assisting 

 to spread out the plants, a pair of scissors, and a pair of 

 forceps. The mounting paper may be cut in three sizes : 

 5 in. by 4 in., 7^ in. by 5^ in., and 10 in. by 7^ in. Then 

 having selected a specimen, place it in the flat dish referred 



