MAKINE BUCK-HORN. 



189 



attachment. The base of the sea-weeds is a simple 

 adhering disk ; but since, in this case, the great 

 expanse of the frond gives a great advantage to the 

 force of the waves, the adhering disks are made very 

 numerous, and are spread over a considerable area. 

 We see the bottom of the stem dilated into a conical 

 mass, some four inches in diameter, of smooth, rounded 

 branches, which are stout where they diverge from the 

 stem, but ramify and re-ramify at very short intervals, 

 until they produce a crowd of slender but firm fibres, 

 each of which terminates in a flattened expanded base 

 or disk ; thus taking hold of the rock in a multitude 

 of separate attachments, and forming, when combined, 

 a very strong adhesion. 



The stem which springs from the summit of this 

 root-cone is about an inch thick, but gradually tapers 

 to half that diameter, constituting a straight round 

 rod, becoming somewhat flattened towards the top. 

 Its surface is rough when old, its substance firmly 

 flexible, somewhat gelatinous, within. You would 

 scarcely expect to find a substitute for buck-horn in 

 this slimy sea-weed ; but in some parts of our coasts 

 serviceable knife-handles are made of it. A pretty 

 thick stem is selected, and cut into pieces of suitable 

 length. Into these, while fresh, are inserted blades of 

 knives, such as gardeners use for pruning and grafting. 

 As the stem dries, it contracts and hardens, closely 

 and firmly embracing the hilt of the blade. In the 

 course of some months the handles become quite firm, 

 and very hard and shrivelled ; so that when tipped 



