36 THE OCEAN. 



at the summit it dilates into a broad cartilaginous 

 leaf, oblong in form, and palmated, or divided into 

 numerous irregular strips ; it is endowed with the 

 power of renewing its frond if the latter be acci- 

 dentally destroyed. Mr. Johns observes,* that of all 

 the various kinds of sea-weeds thrown on shore 

 during a storm. Tangles are the most abundant : a 

 fact which he explains by the ravages of a species of 

 limpet {Patella Icevis) upon their stems and rootlets. 

 Wlien cooked, the young stalks are said to be not 

 unpleasant, and they are boiled and given to cattle. 

 But, as we are informed by Mr. Neill, "in Scotland 

 the stems are sometimes put to rather an unexpected 

 use, the making of knife-handles. A pretty thick 

 stem is selected, and cut into pieces about four 

 inches long. Into these, while fresh, are stuck blades 

 of knives, such as gardeners use for pruning and 

 grafting. As the stem dries, it contracts and hardens, 

 closely and firmly embracing the hilt of the blade. 

 In the course of some months the handles become 

 quite firm, and very hard and shrivelled, so that 

 when tipped with metal they are hardly to be dis- 

 tinguished from hartshorn." 



Much resembling this species, but immensely 

 larger, is the plant which has received the name 

 of Sea-furbelows {L. hulhosa). A single specimen, 

 fresh from the sea, is a heavy load for a man's 

 shoulder : and one which was measured by IVIrs. 

 Griffiths, when spread out, covered a circular space 

 of twelve feet in diameter. Tlie great weight of the 

 frond in this species requires extraordinary support 



* Botanical Rimbles, p. 286. 



