Directions for preserving Sea Plants. 149 



from my own observation, to find the least colour for believing that 

 there is any truth in the assertion, though I am puzzled to account 

 for the prevalence of the opinion in places so distant from each other. 

 That tbere may occasionally be the appearance of more wrack on the 

 shore during- rain it is easy to conceive, as plants which are thrown 

 high up during a spring tide in dry weather may continue beyond 

 the reach of the sea- water, shrivelled up, but on the coming of rain 

 will expand and make a show, when before they were undistinguish- 

 able ; but it can scarcely be supposed that this forms the foundation 

 of the opinion I have mentioned. 



The desire to procure wrack at Cairnlough has increased much of 

 late years, in proportion as its utility has become better known ; and 

 I have at times been somewhat inclined to suspect that cutting the 

 tangle in such quantities as is done, may have had some influence in 

 diminishing the number of fishes in the bay, which are every year 

 becoming more and more scarce, so that where they used to be plen- 

 tiful, the fishermen now say they are scarcely worth the trouble of 

 looking after. They uniformly attribute this failure to the steam- 

 boats passing along the coast. 



As a manure for potatoes, the sea-wrack is not favourable to their 

 dryness, but it greatly increases their produce, and the ground affords 

 good crops of oats the following year without farther manuring. 



The stem of L. digitata is round, but at Larne and also at 

 Cairnlough, I have often found it very much compressed, and re- 

 markably smooth throughout, but without any apparent specific dif- 

 ference. 



L. bulbosa does not adhere to paper, and therefore is to be treated 

 as a land plant. 



Laminaria saccharina, — Very common, adheres to paper very well 

 when young. 



Laminaria phyllitis, — Common on the Antrim coast. I can scarce- 

 ly consider this as distinct from L. saccharina. I have repeatedly 

 seen the bullated appearance in the centre of the frond even in very 

 young plants, but this nearly disappears in the dried specimen. Dr 

 Greville states, Alg. Brit. p. 34, that it only adheres partly to paper 

 in drying, but I believe that this will depend much on circumstances, 

 for if the specimen be allowed to remain only a short time in fresh 

 water, and be spread before it has lost its mucus, it will adhere pretty 

 well, but less perfectly if permitted a longer stay, unless perhaps that 

 it have remained so long that incipient decomposition has come on. 

 Most of my specimens adhere closely. 



VOL. II. no. 8. L 



