CRYPTOGAMIA ALG.^. 965 



The fubftance is cartilaginous, the color appa- 

 rently black, but held between the eye and 

 the light it appears to be a dark- green. The 

 height of the whole plant feldom exceeds a 

 quarter of an inch. 



This Fucus, though fo very diminutive, ha» aU 

 the charadlers, and is as perfect in its kind as 

 the largeft fpecies. 



The leaves are ere6l, comprcfs'd, greatly branch'd, 

 and dichotomous, but generally widened to- 

 wards the top, and either palmated or branched 

 like flags horns ; the fegments numerous, 

 crowded, and obtufe at the extremities. 



The frudifications are of the fame color and fub- 

 ftance as the leaves ; of nearly a fpherical figure, 

 with a hole or cavity at top j and grow upon 

 the fummits of the fegments. 



The cavity at the top of the fruiTtifications is a 

 proof how nearly this fpecies of Fucus is re- ( 

 lated to the fcutellated Lichens. Nature dif- 

 dains to be limited by the fyftematic rules of 

 human invention. She never makes any fud- 

 den ftarts from one clafs or genus to another, 

 but is regularly progrefllve in all her works, 

 uniting the various links in the chain of beings 

 by infenfible connexions. 



Obf. It may not be amifs in this place to apprize 



the young ftudent of Nature, that he may fre- 



Q q q 3 quentJy 



