204 SEA-WEEDS. 



First of all, the surface is largely encrusted with 

 the cells of a Lepralia, the species of which I shall 

 probably better know when the development of some 

 of its granules that I am watching is further advan- 

 ced. Over these cells a yellow Sponge has spread 

 itself, very thin, and profusely spiculous ; and patches 

 of a scarlet Sponge of another kind occur. Another 

 portion of the surface is occupied by the rose-coloured 

 crust of the common Coralline, overspreading like a 

 beautiful smooth lichen, but without a single shoot or 

 many-jointed stem as yet thrown up, to indicate its 

 true character. 



These then may be called the ground-work, for we 

 have not yet got higher than the surface. From this 

 spring up two or three tiny Sea-weeds. That very 

 elegant plant, Bryopsis plumosa, is represented by 

 several of its fronds, of a most lovely green hue, pec- 

 tinated on each side like a comb, with perfect regu- 

 larity. Then there is a little specimen of Ptilota 

 sericea, also a pectinated species, something like the 

 Bryopsis in delicacy, but of a brownish red colour, 

 and much less beautiful. Besides these, there are 

 growing parasitically on one of the polypes presently 

 to be mentioned, several very minute ovate fronds, 

 not more than one eighth of an inch in length, of a 

 rose-red hue, which are probably very young specimens 

 of some of the Rhodymenm. 



Now let us look at the Zoophytes. Most conspi- 

 cuous are several of the corkscrew-funnels that first 

 caught my eye while undisturbed in the quiet pool, 

 and induced me to secure the fragment of supporting 

 rock, — the spiral polypidoms of Cellularia avicularia. 



