348 



MY GARDEN. 



A more beautiful plant, and one more rare, is the Draparnaldia 

 glomerata (fig. 803), which is remarkable in having a large central stem, 



from which other stems branch. This is 

 also a superb microscopic object. 



In March, bright green irregular patches 

 of vegetal structure rise to the top of the 

 water of the lake and of the Backwater. 

 When examined by the microscope with a 

 power of 100 diameters, they present to 

 view a number of cells. This is called the 

 Tetraspora lubrica (fig. 804). At the bottom 

 of the river patches of bright green confervae are found. These, when 

 magnified by the microscope 100 diameters, show every filament to 

 be jointed ; and when further examined with a power of 400 diameters, 

 a beautiful spiral structure is brought to view. I have hitherto not 

 been able to discover any mode of permanently mounting this object, 

 as, strange to say, it invariably shrivels, and loses its beautiful spiral 



FIG. 803. Draparnaldia glomerata, 

 x ioo diam. 



FIG. 804. Tetraspora lubrica, x ioo diam. 



FIG. 805. Zygnema spiralis (upper fig. 

 x ioo diam., lower fig. x 400 diam.). 



structure. The name of this form is the Zygnema spiralis (fig. 805). 

 About July it suddenly takes a start ; and grows with such rapidity 

 that I have drawn out associated filaments fifteen yards long. It 

 covers the surface of the water with a dense scum, as is shown in 

 plate 14. Thousands of water-insects and water-snails live in it. 

 The trout resort to it, and the ever active call-ducks amuse them- 

 selves all the day long with feeding on the creatures which live 

 upon it. Sometimes we remove tons upon tons, but this is a great 

 trouble and causes some annoyance, as when decomposing it smells 

 disagreeably. The miller tried to make it into paper, but it was 

 found that the fibre has no strength. When the September rains 



