LAYER. 99 



liantly vivid and silky. And, besides the large lettuce- 

 like leaves of Ulva, which here attain unusual size, 

 great patches of rock are covered with the equally 

 large and still more tender fronds of Porphyra of a 

 brownish-purple tint, hearing no small resemblance 

 in texture and surface to gold-beater's skin, and 

 which in the esteem of some persons, perhaps, presents 

 the sole redeeming trait of " utility" amidst a Class 

 proverbially " vile", since it contributes to the indul- 

 gence of their appetite. For this is the Sloke or 

 Laver, which, being stewed to jelly and served up 

 with lemon-juice, is a favourite dish at the tables of 

 many. For myself, I am free to confess that the ex- 

 quisite beauty of form and colour displayed by many 

 of these humble plants ; the delicacy of their simple 

 structure; and the purposes which they evidently 

 serve in the great chain of being, of which it has 

 been truly said — 



" From Nature's chain whatever link you strilie, — 

 Tenth or ten thousandth, — breaks the chain alike ;" 



are sufficient qualifications to redeem them from the 

 baseless charge of vileness, even without any preten- 

 sions to sapidity. 



And while I am speaking of beauty, I will mention 

 a species of sea- weed that possesses it of a very pecu- 

 liar character, and in an extraordinary degree. It 

 grows in the vicinity of the Mixon, though not ex- 

 actly on it ; and indeed this is the only locality in 

 which I have met with it. It is the Gystoseira eri- 

 eoides. Between the Mixon and the end of the jetty, 

 in about a fathom's depth, we discern, as the boat 



