CRYPTOGAMIA ALG^. 90J 



l^owers, but others, with much more probabi- 

 lity, have concluded to be veffels defigned by 

 nature to convey nutriment to the plant ; both 

 becaufe thefe pencils are found upon the llirface 

 of the leaf in every ftage of its growth, and at 

 all feafons of the year, and becaufe it is pretty 

 certain that the Fuci receive no nourifhment by 

 the root, like other vegetables, but that their 

 roots ferve only to fix them to rocks, ftones, 

 fliells, and other fubrtances to which they ad- 

 here. 



The plant when frefh is of a yellowifli green or 

 olive color, but dry'd turns fomewhat blackifli. 

 Its fubftance is tough and leathern, or rather 

 cartilaginous. 



A fmall fpecies of Coralline frequently creeps upon 

 the furface of the leaf, called by Linnaeus Sertu- 

 laria piimiU. Syft. nat, 1306. and figured by- 

 Mr. Ellis in his Hil lory of Cora llines. PI. V. 

 n. 8. a. A. p. 9. under the name of Sea-oak Co- 

 ralline. 



This fpecies affords a much lefs proportion of 

 lixivial falts than the foUov/ing, eight ounces of 

 the afhes of the burnt plant yielding only three 

 ounces of fixed fait. 



The Butch cover their crabs and lobfters with this 

 FucuSy to keep them alive and moid, and pre- 

 fer it to any other, as being deftkute of thofe 

 M m m 4 sniicous 



