32 COMMON" SEAWEEDS. 



Cladophora Gracilis. — This is a lovely plant. 

 Long, light, green, silky filaments, from six to fourteen 

 inches long, float out into the pool, growing on other 

 seaweed, especially on Zostera or sea-grass. Observe 

 the branchlets, comb-like on one side of each larger 

 branch : that is a distinctive mark, together with its 

 glossy soft hue and silky texture. 



FFCC'S. 



This seaweed extends from high-water mark to 

 lowest tide, and belongs to the olive seaweeds or 

 Melanospermce ; so called because the reproductive 

 grains or spores are very dark coloured, nearly black 

 when seen by transmitted light. "We are so much 

 accustomed to see the vast expanse of rock uncovered 

 at low tide, clothed with heavy brown masses of coarse- 

 looking weed, that the young collector is apt to pass 

 it all by, as useless for the album, and of no parti- 

 cular value to any one. 



This is a great mistake. Beneath those clustering 

 masses of Fuci we find our greatest treasures, in deli- 

 cate small AJgce, shadowed and sheltered thus by the 

 coarser weed. Various names are given to this brown 

 seaweed — sea- ware, bladder, Fucus (its proper name), 

 ielp-ware, black tang, Lady- wrack, or "Our Lady's 

 wrack," from the richness of the crop it yields to 

 the seaside agriculturist. On the Ayrshire coast the 

 farmer and cottager vie with each other in raking up 

 the black tang from the stormy sea ; the poor Irishman 



