io8 



AQUATIC MICROSCOPY FOR BEGINNERS. 



grass, to twigs, or other small objects of the kind. 

 They are often almost spherical, varying in size from 

 that of a pin-head to that of a marble. The surface 

 is smooth, ' and so slippery that to pick up one of 

 these ChcEtdphora jellies with the fingers is next to 

 impossible. The plant within the jelly is formed of 

 fine branching filaments usually radiating in all direc- 

 tions from a common center, the branches being 

 shorter and most numerous near the surface of the 

 gelatinous mass, their ends bearing a fine, colorless 

 hair or bristle. Under a low-power objective the 

 plant, if carefully flattened out, is beautiful, and is 

 justly named "elegant." Ch. e'legans, Fig. 89. It is 

 common. Only a small portion of the growth is 

 shown in the figure. 



8. DraparnAldia (Fig. 90). 

 There need be no trouble in recognizing this Alga. 

 It grows attached to many submerged objects, the 



fine branches 

 giving it a deli- 

 cate, feathery 

 a ppea r a n c.e to 

 the naked eye. 

 Under the mi- 

 croscope it is 

 seen to be much 

 branched, the 

 branches being 



Fig. 90.— Draparnildia glomefdta. , . , 



arranged in clus- 

 ters, each branch being formed of cells smaller than 

 those of the main stem, and filled with chlorophyl, 

 while each terminal cell is ended by a long, colorless 

 hair. The cells of the stem are but little longer 



