2 Notice of Harvey’s Marine Alga of North America. 
ticularly 7 be This general interest, first incited by Dr. 
Greville’s Alew Britannica, has been n widely extended by Dr. 
Harvey’s own Manual of the British Alga, especially the second 
edition, and his elaborate Phycologia Britannica. The plates of 
the latter are excelled only by those of the present memoir, in 
which Professor Harvey is doing for our country what in those 
works he has accomplished for his own, and what in his Nereis 
Australis he is likewise doing for the counterpart regions of the 
southern hemisphere. As we welcome this accomplished nat- 
uralist as a fellow-laborer on our own ground, let us hope that 
this first is far indeed from being the last “Contribution to — 
knowledge” from a transatlantic source to be called forth and ; 
_ published by the Smithsonian Institution. Such scientific inter- 
vention is productive only of good results. 
“The book now before us, in the form ofa thin quart volume, 
is only the first part of the work, comprising the Melanos; ermee, 
or olive-colored seaweeds, with the general introduction. Two 
more parts, still more ample, or at least embracing a greater 
variety of gra are yet to come; namely, part 2d, the Rhodosper- 
mee, or Rose Alge ; and part 3d, the Chlorospermee or Grass- 
green Alge. Beth of these, and. especially rose-red series, already 
in a state of forwardness, will furnish more striking illustrations _ 
than the present, for the olive-colored seaweeds are not remark- 
able for beauty. They are however, generally, . the most con- 
ape: for size, and the most important in their economical uses. 
aking of the uses of seaweeds, Prof. Harvey very prop- 
erly alludes, first to the general office which this class of plants 
discharges in the economy of nature. 
; f 
sat 
‘The part committed to the Alga: in the household of nature, though 
humble when we rega ard them as the lowest organic members in that — 
mit, when we : aa oats vast peeposdertince of the ocean over the 
land on the surface of the earth, and bear in mind that almost the 
eae 4s submarine vegetation consis of Alge. The number of species _ 
of mes plants which are not Alge proper is extremely small. 
These on the American coast are limited to less than half a dozen, — 
only one ‘of which, the common Eel Grass (Zostera marina), is ex- , 
tensively disperse 2 
“ All other marine plants are referable to Alge 5 the aed sp 
would therefore be Bently destitute of vegetable life 
i existence. Almost every shore—wher shifting ay ‘si 
their growth—is now clothed with a varied band of Alge of the 
5 and: ae species of these vegetables  pegete: 
s myriads at depths of the ocean as great as the plum- 
. Sa al life chien It is 
‘ the sea, in every 
hot, therefore, speaking te 
_ climate and at all oe de thef vegetables u under 
. r other, 
ee ff ili 
