190 THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



of association and memory, as well as with their scientific 

 value. 



A slide of that exquisite Ptilota plumosa sent my spirit 

 far away from the quiet country home. A sound of a 

 gushing tide was in mine ears, the vast expanse of a sunlit 

 sea before mine eyes -my feet were slipping and bounding 

 from rock to rock, down to the edge of a retreating wave, 

 a long way from the shadow of the Serk cliffs. Suddenly, 

 as in a dream, a deep rock-pool lay before me, on the outer 

 side of which a forest of Laminaria and Ckorda-filum was 

 streaming out into the sea ; all round the interior margin 

 were thick clusters of olive sea-weeds and the dense foliage 

 of LicJiinia, Cystoseira, and Furcellaria. Here and there 

 beautiful tufts of the jointed Catanetta, the delicate Cera- 

 mium, Laurentia, Plocamium, and in one dark corner some 

 fronds of the crimson Rliodymenia, whilst in the deepest 

 shadow grew the purple Chondrus crispu-s turning green and 

 olive in the sunny side of the pool. The water was clear 

 and untroubled, when with little splash a Cabot * darted 

 across from crevice to cranny beneath a boulder in the 

 pool ; a Prawn, gracefully poised, and waving its long 

 feelers, was lurking under the weeds, and a green, greedy 

 Crab, was watching a purple, passive Mussel gaping in the 

 warmth and quietude: myriads of living creatures, tiny 

 Molluscs and Cytheridse, were rejoicing in that little world 

 one single tide-pool. 



Not to dream on, but to explore deeper still into the 

 mysteries and beauties of the sea-flowers as they should 

 be called not weeds. 



" Call us not weeds we are flowers of the sea ; 

 For lovely, and bright, and gay -tinted are we, 

 And quite independent of culture or showers ; 

 Then call us not weeds we are ocean's fair flowers/' 



;.;..,' Landesborough. 



We must consider- steadily their microscopic parts, and 

 learn their place in creation. 



* The Guernsey name for the Blennrus, or Blenny. 



