64 HAXDT BOOK OF 



stems of the lamina ria digitata, or sea girdle. Sidmouth, 

 is one of its most favourite haunts ; and beautiful is the 

 effect which it produces when seen through a clear trans- 

 parent medium, affixed to some dark and rugged sea-rock. 



A small brotherhood is that of rhodomenia, and yet com- 

 prising much of beauty and variety. Varying in colour 

 from the brightest pink to dull red, they claim by this 

 heraldic hue their relationship to the red series rhodosper- 

 mese ; a colour rare within the tropics, and still more un- 

 common in polar latitudes, but which especially belongs to 

 the temperate zone, of which the members are most luxu- 

 riant in form and rich in species from the 55th to the 45th 

 degree of latitude, but rapidly diminishing towards the 

 Equator after passing the 35th. 



With regard to such of this beautiful and infinitely 

 varied series as pertain to the shores of Britain and her 

 immediate dependencies, we may briefly note that they 

 attain the highest perfection in .deep water. When occur- 

 ring above half- tide level, they assume either purple, or 

 orange, or yellow tints, occasionally even a cast of green : 

 and are rarely of a bright hue within the range of extreme 

 low -water mark, above which many of the more delicate 

 species refuse to vegetate, while such as still exist degene- 

 rate both in form and colour. 



Let not the algologist object that the brilliant family of 

 rhodomenia has taken precedence of their unassuming elder 

 brother, the purple hypnum (Hypnea purpurescens), thus 

 named from its moss-like character. The eye resting on 

 their beauty, caused this departure from prescribed rules of 

 precedence, and hence it happened that the hypnea was 

 passed by. But that tribe, however humble, must not 

 remain unnoticed. Analogous to creeping plants, which 

 lift themselves ofttimes into air and light by the aid of 

 clasping tendrils, the hypnum has its screw-like fibres, 

 with which to lay hold of rough projections on sea-rocks, 

 and thus preserves a tenacious grasp amid the strife of 



