BRITISH SEA-WEEDS 



CHAPTER I. 



THE POSITION OF SEA-WEEDS IN THE VEGETABLE 

 KINGDOM; THEIE STKITCTURE, etc. 



A plant, according to recent authors, is "a cellular 

 body, possessing vitality, living by absorption through 

 its outer surface, and secreting starch." Accepting this 

 definition as sufficient for my present purpose, which is 

 not to treat of plants generally, but only of a portion of 

 a single class, I will trace a brief outline of the natural 

 arrangement, and try to mark distinctly the position in 

 which Sea-weeds stand in relation to other plants, whe- 

 ther of higher or lower organization. 



The comprehensive definition which I have quoted is 

 purposely framed to include the whole of what is aptly 

 called the Vegetable Kingdom, from the lordly Oak 

 and mighty Wellingtonia, which take a century to reach 

 their full growth, to the insignificant Algse which spring 

 into life, flourish, propagate, and decay in the course of 

 a few days on the surface of some chance puddle of stag- 

 nant water. 



