CRYPTOGAMIA-ALG.E. 245 



have led to error and confusion. .For in the " natural 

 system 1 ' most approved of at present, this alga finds no 

 place of rest among the Algae, and is said to be a sort of 

 mould, and figures away as an Qzonium, a genus which 

 stands next to, and differs little from, the Linnaean genus 

 Byssus ! The preceding sketch may appear, to the gene- 

 ral reader, to be drawn up in the spirit of ridicule ; but I 

 am sorry to say that it is a true history, and only sins 

 through defect, for at least one other synonym (Dematium) 

 might have been added to the useless catalogue. HER- 

 SCHEL has asserted that " there is no science in which the 

 evils resulting from a rage for nomenclature have been felt 

 to such an extent as in mineralogy," but he would have 

 divided the censure had he bestowed a passing thought on 

 the labours of cryptogamic botanists. 



2. A. Linncei, reddish-orange, filaments very short, sparingly 

 branched, erect, submoniliform. SPRENG. Syst. Veg. iv. 345. 

 Chroolepus odoratus, LOUD. Encycl. No. 15066. 



Hal. On the bark of ash tress, not rare in this neighbour- 

 hood. 



Forms orange-red undefined spots on the trunk of trees. 

 The colour changes in the herbarium, after some time, to 

 a greenish-yellow, when the plant exhales the odour of the 

 sweet- violet. 



147- CLADOSTEPHUS. 



1. C. spongiosus, olive-brown, variously branched, densely beset 

 with very short, scattered, incurved, slender, simple filaments ; 

 joints about as broad as long GREV. Fl. Edin. 313. HOOK. Scot. 

 ii. 89. Conferva spongiosa, LIGHTF. Scot. 983. DILLW. Syn. 76. 

 t. 42. Eng. JBot. t. 2427. 



Hal. On rocks in tufts about 2 inches long, plentiful. 



148. ECTOCARPUS. 



1. E. littoralis capillary, olive-brown or green, excessively 

 branched, bushy ; branches either opposite or alternate with ta- 

 pered points ; articulations equal in length and breadth ; tuber- 

 cles globose, subsessile GREV. Fl. Edin. 314. Conferva littoralis, 

 LIGHTF. Scot. 979. DILLW. Conf. p. 70. t. 31. Ceramium litto- 

 rale, HOOK. Scot. ii. 86. 



