VEGETATION PROPER FOR THE TANK. 17 



the selection of the most beautiful and suitable 

 specimens. 



There is wide room here for consulting the pic- 

 turesque : some humbler forms of sea- weed clothe the 

 rocks with moss-like softness, or hang like tapestry 

 upon the shelving walls ; 



" Others, that like the broad banana growing, 

 Raise their long wrinkled leaves of purple hue 



Like streamers wide outflowing ; 

 Trees of the deep, and shrubs, and fruits, and flowers 



As fair as ours, 

 Wherewith the Sea-nymphs love their hair to braid." 



These are, however, only to be procured in a healthy 

 and vigorous condition whilst growing in their native 

 haunts ; it is useless to pick them up upon the beach ; 

 they must be gathered where they grow, and that can 

 only be done, generally speaking, at low-water mark, 

 the lower the tide the better. Here, in some wave- 

 deserted pool, whose sides are overgrown with Algae 

 of a hundred different kinds and varied hues, the 

 naturalist must take his choice among the rich pro- 

 fusion, although he will doubtless find the following 

 hints thrown out by Mr. Gosse, of material assistance 

 whilst making this selection : 



' ' The first thing to be done is to obtain the Algae 

 in a growing state. As they have no proper roots, 

 but are in general very closely attached to the solid 

 rock, from which they cannot be torn without injury 

 by laceration, I have always used a hammer and 

 chisel to cut away a small portion of the rock itself, 

 having ready a jar of sea- water, into which I dropped 

 the fragment with its living burden, exposing it as 



