ANIMAL-PLANTS AND SEA-WEEDS 121 



seldom, too, we think of the important part which 

 these lime-extracting organisms play in regard to 

 the magniiicent edifices which we consider as 

 " built " by man, whereas all that man has clone 

 is to utilise and arrange the material already built 

 by these insignificant living atoms of the past. 



We have seen how these little animals seem to 

 mimic plant structures. We have seen them bud, 

 branch, and on occasion bear flowers, and also 

 later produce vessels, which appeared to contain 

 seed. So we need not wonder at sea-side visitors 

 bringing home these animal-plants in mistake for 

 sea weeds, with so many striking resemblances to 

 mislead them. 



But now we will endeavour to examine a few 

 sea-weeds or alga;, and see in detail how far the 

 resemblance really goes. 



The first thing that we have to observe is that 

 the smaller alga; are not so hard in texture as 

 the zoophytes, but are more delicate, many being 

 so transparent that their internal structure can 

 be readily examined. Fig. 78 shows a portion 

 of a few branches from a species belonging 

 to a family of algie which probably will be the 

 first weeds to attract the eye of the sea-side 

 visitor. Their thin red and pink, thread-like, 

 jointed branches, with repeated forkings, and 

 tips always forked, will serve to identify them. 



