SEA-WEEDS. 23 



hammers, and the same number of wliat are techni- 

 cally termed "cold chisels," tipped with steel, I 

 proceed with an attendant to some one of the ledges 

 of black rock that project like long slender tongues 

 into the sea. An unpractised foot would find the 

 walking precarious and dangerous, for the rocks are 

 rough and sharp, and the dense matting of black 

 bladder-*weed with which they are covered, conceals 

 many abrupt and deep clefts beneath its slimy drapery. 

 These fissures however, are valuable to us. We -lift 

 up the hanging mass of olive weed fFucusJ from the 

 edge, and find the sides of the clefts often fringed 

 with the most delicate and lovely forms of sea-weed ; 

 such for example, as the winged Delesseria, fD. alataj 

 which grows in thin, much-cut leaves of the richest 

 crimson hue, and the feathery Ptilota fP. plumosaj 

 of a duller red. Beneath the shadow of the coarser 

 weeds delights also to grow the Chondrus, in the 

 form of little leafy bushes, each leaf widening to fa 

 flattened tip. When viewed growing in its native 

 element this plant is particularly beautiful; for its 

 numerous leaves glow with refulgent reflections of 

 azure, resembling the colour of tempered steel. This 

 weed when dried is useful for making jellies, and con- 

 stitutes the Carrageen Moss of the shops. 



We may observe among the sea- weeds many tufts of 

 a small species, whose leaves are much and deeply cut, 

 with the divisions rounded, and the general outline 

 of the leaf pointed. Some specimens are of a dull 

 purple, others of a rich yellow hue ; and I refer to the 

 species as an interesting example of the influence of 

 light on the colour of marine plants. The yellow 



