above, highly reticulated. Fructification, linear lines of dark coloured 

 spores, formed beneath the epidermis, along the concentric zones, at length 

 bursting through the coating of the frond, which forms a permanent indu- 

 sium to them. At maturity the spores contain four sporules. 



A very remarkable plant, abundant in the Tropical Ocean, and 

 reaching its northern limit on the southern shores of England, 

 without exhibiting any depauperation from climate. The British 

 specimens are fully as large as those from warmer latitudes, 

 and as well coloured. This being the case, one would naturally 

 expect that it may yet be discovered further north. There is 

 indeed a tradition, resting on the authority of Dr. Cargill, quoted 

 by Lightfoot, that it was once gathered at Aberdeen, but it has 

 not been found in Scotland in modern times, and I fear there 

 has been a mistake : yet it is difficult to imagine what could have 

 been mistaken for it, so different in appearance is it from all 

 other Algae. 



Probably this is the only genuine species of the genus, as now 

 restricted ; the tropical forms which have been described being 

 mere varieties of this type. Our British P. parvula must be 

 separated, and has been made the type of a peculiar genus by 

 Areschoug; while P.? deusta, Hook., now constitutes the genus 

 Balfsia. Several of the Grevillian species, which differ consi- 

 derably in their fructification from P. Pcwonia, now form the 

 restricted genus Zonaria, J. Ag.; a very natural group, but not 

 very happily named, for they are much less regularly zoned than 

 the Padina. 



So singular a species as this is could not fail to be observed at 

 an early period, and notices of it occur in Bauhin, and other 

 early writers. An excellent account is given by Ellis, accom- 

 panied by a figure with very correct dissections, in his celebrated 

 work on Corallines, into which he has introduced it, not on the 

 supposition of its animal nature, but from the elegance of its 

 form, and singularity. Its general resemblance to the expanded 

 tail of the Peacock, has been noticed by all authors. When 

 viewed growing under water this resemblance is peculiarly 

 striking, the fringes of capillary fibres which adorn it, decompo- 

 sing the rays of light, and giving rainbow colours to the surface. 



Fig. 1. Tuft of Padina Pavonia. 2. A frond separated and expanded : — both 

 of the natural size. 3. Segment of the frond, showing involute apex; 

 capillary fringe ; and young and old sori. 4. Apex and fringe. 5. Ver- 

 tical section. 6. Portion of a sorus. 7. Tetraspores : — all more or less 

 highly magnified. 





