244 THE VEGETABLE WORLD. 
of the microscope is covered with these thick brownish spheres, 
bristling with antherozoids, which roll themselves about in all 
directions, surrounded with swarms of these corpuscles. 
“Tn about half an hour, rarely longer, this movement of the 
spores ceases ; the antherozoids continue, however; 
to be agitated for some time, but with diminished 
activity, until all movement is finally arrested. 
/ From the day when the spores are thrown into 
contact with the antherozoids they are already 
re-invested with a membrane.” 
M. Thuret remarks on this movement of rota- 
tion among the spores, that the phenomenon, how- 
ever curious, does not perhaps merit much con- 
sideration. He does not think it necessary to the 
fecundation of the spores, and does not admit 
that the movement takes place in nature. 
TV. CERAMIACES. 
Seaweeds are distinguished by their rose or PU" 
plish, sometimes olive or violet colour, hence call 
Rose-tangles. They are cellular, or rather tubular, 
unsymmetrical bodies, their cells being long _ 
| tubular, occasionally only polygonal, multiplied 
| by means of tetraspores and spheerospores, #6 they 
} are in threes, as in Chondria, or fours, Wi adit iy ‘ : 
"| transparent perespore, as in Corallina officinal gs 
h or mother-cell; a variety in their fructificatio? 
/, which, as Dr. Lindley remarks, “‘ seems to indicate 
their being the highest form of algals.” They - 
entirely marine species, and, according to Endlicher, 
they chiefly abound between the 35° and 48° yet 
| allel, diminishing in number towards the pole 9”! 
the equator, and being rare in the Southern hemisphere. erie 
among the genera of this order that the more gelatinous seaweeds fo 
vecur: the material out of which the swallows construct the edible 
nests so valued by the Chinese is supposed to be Gelidium. chee . 
_caria compressa and Chondrus crispus possess similar qualities: 
Fig. 318, Fucus 
Nodosus. 
