118 SANDY BOOK OP 



of Northern Europe and Asia, is such uniformity of vegeta- 

 tion to be found, as in these mighty sea-weed beds. 



" The collection of this enormous carpet of plants," Meyen 

 says, " over a space of more than 40,000 square miles, has 

 been, since Columbus's time, the object of admiration and 

 investigation. Some navigators believe that this sea- weed 

 is collected by the Gulf Stream, and that in the Gulf of 

 Mexico enormous quantities grow, a supposition, however, 

 which does not now need to be contradicted, as I shall pre- 

 sently show. Humboldt was of opinion, that these marine 

 plants grow in shallow water, and are torn up by fish or 

 molluscs ; perhaps, too, by currents, and other causes. Yon 

 Martius believes that the weeds grow in shallow water at 

 24 deg. N.L., and 28 deg. W.L., and are torn off there by the 

 whales. It is inexplicable to me, how such enormous 

 masses of this plant could be torn up from isolated shallows. 

 I have examined thousands and thousands of these roots, 

 and I may venture to assert, that they were never sessile. 

 While swimming in the water, they have pushed out roots 

 and leaves in every direction. I have noticed a similar de- 

 velopment and growth among free Algae spores, and the 

 formation of a root among the floating Confervse, and hence 

 I do not consider the growth of the sea- weed, which floats 

 about in the open sea, as so very wonderful. According to 

 my opinion, they have been floating about at the place 

 where they are found for thousands of years ; but their mass 

 must increase annually, though it is difficult to explain 

 how. I must mention here the great number of animals 

 which find their residence and food in these floating islands 

 of Gulf weed. The Sargasso sea is usually covered with 

 tiny Sertulariniae, coloured Vorticellse, and other strange 

 creatures. Various Pleurobranches and Nereides sit on the 

 branches of this weed, and serve as food for the countless 

 fishes and crustaceans which have taken up their abode 

 here." 



Similar evidences are found in the Indian and Pacific 



