978 ' - CRYPTOGAMIA ALGJE 



branches are fo clofely entangled together, thar 



the air getting between them cannot eafily eva- 



. %, . r .■ , porate, but when the plant floats upon the 



t ! ■ . water, raifes bubbles in it, by which character 



, ;: this fpecies is readily diftinguifh'd. 



,.; . , It is of a foft fubftance, and in pure water, 



i. . where the threads grow long, refembles Tow ; 



but in muddy waters, where they are fhort, it 



is not unlike cotton, which being carefully 



col!e6ted and dry'd, turns whitilh, and has 



fometimes been ufed inftead of it, either as 



wadding to fluff garments with, or to make 



towels and napkins. We have aifo feen a 



coarfe kind of paper made of it at Edinburgh, 



ce-nalicula- CONFERVA filamcntis asqualibus bafin verfus 

 ris ^. ramofioribus. Sp. pL 1634. (Billen. mufc. 21, 



/. 4./. 15.) 

 Velvet Mill Conferva. Anglis. 

 It is found frequently upon the planks in milV- 



dams, and in the cavities of water-pipes. 

 It grows in a thick clufter, fo as to form a fofc 

 fpongy fubftance, like a piece of velvet, of a 

 deep-green color. The threads which compofe 

 it are from one to two inches long, greatly 

 branched from the middle part towards the 

 bafe, but fimple, or only flightly divided at 

 the extremity, which is the principal charac- 

 ter i flic 



