40 IIANDY BOOK OF 



sists in unity, in a mutual dependence of one upon the 

 other, or the elements by which they are surrounded. 

 What signifies it, a looker-on might say to the latter of 

 these plants, whether growing in one place or the other, 

 Upovided that a rock supports its disc -shaped root, and that 

 the rock is within tide-mark ? Much, every way. In some 

 localities, little exuberance is displayed ; in others, the same 

 plant throws out abundant and regular filaments, and be- 

 comes fully developed ; such is the case, especially, when 

 growing on the perpendicular sides of marine rocks, left un- 

 covered at low- water, and either open to the sun, or else 

 shaded by pendant fronds of the Fucus serratus and F. 

 nodosus. 



Few, perhaps, among parasitic sea- weeds, are more deli- 

 cate in their construction, or softer in hue, than the many 

 scaled Callithamnion {C. poly sper mum). A poet, perhaps, 

 would tell you, that this friendly plant loves to embellish 

 the more unsightly species, such as are rough of leaf, and 

 with little of outward beauty to commend them. On these 

 it grows profusely, and covers them ofttimes with densely 

 set, and globose tufts of brownish, or somewhat purplish 

 red, till all that is ungainly-looking in the plant becomes 

 concealed, and passers-by linger with delight beside its 

 growing-places. Nor less gentle in its nature the many- 

 sided Callithamnion, which readily adheres when spread on 

 paper, and exhales, if moistened, a scent of violet. 



Naturalists in all ages have associated names of worth or 

 talent with their favourite plants ; and hence those of 

 Brodiai and Borreri in the family of Callithamnion ; the 

 former a brownish-red and tufted plant, peculiar to this 

 country, and restricted to the coast of Northumberland, 

 Torquay, Cornwall, and Torres ; the latter ranging along the 

 Atlantic shores of France and Spain, of the Mediterranean 

 and Adriatic seas, equally with those of Britain. This plant 

 is eminently beautiful, and may be readily distinguished 

 among its brethren by the lower half of its plumules being 



