8o AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



The sea-weeds ^ are of far greater importance than the mush- 

 rooms for Japan. Nowhere else do they form a part of the 

 people's diet to such an extent as with the nations on the Pacific 

 side of Asia. Not only the giants of the marine flora are taken 

 up by the Chinese and Japanese and utilized in various ways 

 as food, but also the more delicate red and green sorts, the use 

 of which has been adopted by the Malays also. In Europe the 

 consumption of a few varieties, as Alaria esculenta, Grev., Sphcero- 

 coccus palmatiLs^ K., Porphyra lacmiata, Gracilaria lichenoides, A., 

 and some others, is limited to the poor sea-coast population of the 

 north, especially of Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Norway ; while 

 the Frenchman, for example, generally not at all particular in the 

 choice of marine animals for food, and able with his culinary art 

 to make every sort appetizing, despises the algae. 



The marine flora is influenced most by light and temperature, and 

 hence by the depth,situation and form of bays,and by ocean currents. 

 Sea-water does not change its temperature as readily or as often 

 as the air. It is the medium of distributing its own inhabitants, 

 and touches all parts of the world. Moreover, the fish and turtles 

 which feed on algae swim with its streams over vast areas, and 

 carry seeds to distant shores. From all these causes, it is inevitable 

 that many algse should be widely distributed, and that we should 

 find many a variety in the waters of Japan which are known in 

 other parts of the ocean, too. The circumpolar tangle {Laminarice) 

 and seawracks [Fiicus species) prefer cold sea-water and a heavy 

 surf, both of which are to be had in the vicinity of the island 

 of Yezo and the Kuriles. Two other groups of the Melanosperms, 

 the CystosiricB (bladder-string seaweed) and Sargassacice (berry- 

 seaweed) join them in the south. The last-named family is repre- 

 sented in especial profusion in several groups {Sargassum, Spofigo- 

 carpus, HalocJiloa, Myagropsis, Coccophorci), I never saw them 

 used in housekeeping, but only as manure, except HalocJdoa 

 maci-antha, Kg., Jap. Houdawara, which is eaten with vinegar, and 

 pickled. A considerable amount of light is the chief condition 

 of life for the more delicate green sea-algae. Many of them do not 

 require very salt water, and are found at the mouths of rivers 

 and in pools where there is little salt, and also on the coast above 

 the mean tide level. 



1 An exhaustive work on this subject does not yet exist. Thus far the following 

 have noticed Japanese varieties : — 



1. Kiitzing, in his well-known work, "Species Algarum, 1849, collected by 

 Tilesius, chiefly in Nagasaki." 



2. Harvey: "Characters of New Algae, chiefly of Japan, collected by Ch. 

 Wright. Proc. Am. Ac. of Arts and Sc," Boston, 1857. Vol. iv. p. 327. 54 

 varieties. 



3. G, von Martens: "Die Preuss. Exped. nach Ost-Asien. Botan. Theil. Die 

 Tange.," 1866, iii varieties, collected by E. von Martens. 



4. Suringar : " Algse Japonicae Musei Botnnici Lugdano-Batavi." Haarlem, 

 1874. 34 species, collected chiefly by Siebold in Nagasaki. 



