SEAWEEDS. 301 



My space is getting rapidly used up, though I have only 

 been able to mention a few of our fairly common seaweeds. 

 There are still two or three that I must mention. One of 

 these is an exceedingly pretty little form, which would be very 

 like a soft feather that has been cast by one of the greener 

 varieties of the canary-bird, if it were not so vividly green. 

 The weed is called Bryopsis plumosa. It will be found grow- 

 ing on the shaded walls of deep pools, and if the eye is placed 

 just over the edge of the pool, the Bryopsis will be found 

 growing at right angles with the wall, and looking so very 

 feathery that it will be identified at once. 



Another green weed that should be mentioned is the Enter- 

 omorpha compressa^ of the same texture as the Sea Lettuce 

 (Ulvd), already mentioned, but forming a narrow tube of 

 rugged shape, that is ordinarily collapsed, but sometimes 

 inflated with oxygen gas. It is represented in the illustration 

 of the Sand Launce on page 275. A tuft growing on a stone 

 or limpet-shell, is a valuable addition to the aquarium, for it 

 will continue to grow, and many of the animal inhabitants will 

 find their food in it. Crustaceans, fishes, and mollusks are 

 all fond of it. 



The reader who has patiently accompanied me thus far, will 

 probably make up his mind to preserve some of these beautiful 

 weeds, and I should strengthen any such intention ; but let 

 me advise that some care be expended upon the work. -Select 

 your specimens with care, and be not satisfied until you have, 

 by patient seeking and overhauling, secured fairly perfect 

 examples with, as far as possible, the fruiting organs. These 

 must be carefully laid out, and gently pressed between sheets 

 v of absorbent paper, just as in the case of flowering plants. 

 But it should be always remembered that the specimens as 

 taken from the sea are more or less coated with salt, and will 

 never thoroughly dry until this is removed. The first care then 

 should be to well rinse them in clear soft water, a few speci- 

 mens at a time, to avoid leaving any for long in the fresh 



