150 THE SEA -SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



the works of Sir Thomas Browne, in which that great 

 and quaint author alludes to the several varieties of 

 Marine Algae, such as the Sea-lettuce (Ulva latissima), 

 the Zostera marina, and others, that grow so proli- 

 fically at great depths. Sir Thomas states that the 

 following passage of Holy Writ, " Where waters stood 

 before, dry land appeared without impediment, and 

 out of the violent streams a green field," would seem 

 to imply, that the Israelites passed over a green field 

 at the bottom of the sea. He also adds his belief 

 that the words may be taken literally, instead of 

 metaphorically, since (to use his own words) " there 

 is a part of the Mediterranean Sea called La Prairie, 

 or the Meadowy Sea, from the bottom thereof being 

 so plentifully covered with plants; since vast heaps 

 of weeds are found in the bellies of some whales taken 

 in the Northern Ocean, and at a great distance from 

 the shore, and since the providence of nature hath 

 provided this shelter for minor fishes, both for their 

 spawn and safety of their young ones ; and this might 

 be more peculiarly allowed to be spoken of the Ked 

 Sea, since the Hebrews named it Suph, or the Weedy 

 Sea." 



The next sea-plant in my list is Dulse, Duillisg, 

 or Dillisk (Rkodymenia palmatd). It belongs to 

 the Rhodosperm, or Red-seeded Algae. Should the 

 reader ever feel at a loss from not being able to fall 

 in with this sea-weed, he has only to ask the first 

 ragged urchin that comes in his way. Several of 

 these will dodge in amazement about the young 



