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Of the Marine Algae the most common are the GREAT STRAP- 

 WORT, (Laminar ia,) with its dark green frond three or four 

 feet long. The BLADDERWORT, (Fucus vesiculosus,} with its 

 branched, dark green, leather-like frond, covered over with 

 large, round blisters, full of a slimy juice when fresh, and 

 which when dry crack with a pop as they are trodden upon 

 this is nearly as frequent on all our coasts. There is a beautifully 

 delicate, red, feathery Sea Weed, often collected and used for 

 ornamental work this is the Plocamium coccineum / and 

 another, with a number of lance-shaped, thick, dark red leaves, 

 growing from a root, with their edges surrounded by thick 

 hairs this is the Delesseria ciliata ; and another similar, 

 growing like a hand and fingers, called Rhodomela palmata. 

 Then there is a wide-spreading, bright green, thin leaf, crumpled 

 and folded up, and of no particular shape, this is the Ulva 

 latissima. Also the CARRAGEEN Moss which is Chondrus 

 crispus. The ditches of fresh water are covered with a light 

 green, slimy looking, hollow, twisted plant called Solenia 

 intestinalis, and some or other of the very numerous genus of 

 Conferva are found everywhere ; they resemble a tuft of hair of 

 various colors, two green ones Conferva rivularis, and Conferva 

 capillaris are common in ditches and ponds. Many more 

 Sea Weeds than all these may be collected at any place on the 

 sea side in an hour's walk, particularly on both coasts of the 

 mouth of the river Thames, which being exposed to the strong 

 currents of the German ocean, have thrown upon them many 

 of the rarer kinds. 



The Algcs are used for many purposes, the slimy matter 

 which they contain is very nourishing and strengthening, and 

 in many places is used as food ; they are also useful as manure, 

 and when burnt their ashes yield a large quantity of soda, and 

 for this purpose are often collected in immense heaps, and 

 when dried are set fire to ; the ashes are afterwards soaked in 

 water, which dissolves the soda, and then the water is poured 

 off and boiled for a long time, till it gets thick. Being now 

 set aside to cool, the soda settles at the bottom of the vessel. 

 Potass is made in the same way, but with trees and plants that 

 grow on land. 



