appears transversely striate. Conceptacles of two kinds: 1, ovate ceramidia, 
pierced with a minute pore, and containing a tuft of transversely parted 
oblong, tetraspores ; these terminate the branches and ramuli, and are of a 
pearly white colour. 2, slightly urceolate or mamilleform ceramidia of 
smaller size, springing irregularly from various parts of the articulations, and 
sometimes so densely crowded as to cover the whole articulation. These 
probably also contain tetraspores, but those which I examined were empty. 
The structure is similar to that of C. sguamata. Colour, when growing in 
deep water or in shade, a dull, and rather dark purple; under sunlight 
passing through various shades of dull red and yellow to a milk white, 
which is the common colour of specimens cast on the beach. 
One 
ne 
This species is abundant on the shores of all countries within 
the temperate zone of the northern Atlantic, and perhaps it would 
not be too much to include distant regions of the Southern Ocean 
and the Pacific, among its habitats. Authors, however, have 
given distinct names to specimens coming from the south; and 
too much uncertainty prevails among the exotic species of the 
genus Corallina to allow of our attempting, in the present place, 
a reconciliation of synonymes. Even on our own shores this 
plant puts on so many sportive appearances, that it would be 
easy to form from its varieties numerous species, as distinct as 
some that have been founded on single fragments coming from 
abroad. Colour has been assumed as a character im describing 
these plants. Nevertheless it is notorious that the colours of all 
Corallines are remarkably fugacious, and that all quickly bleach, 
under the influence of the weather, to a milky whiteness. The 
form of the joints, almost the only tangible character, is subject to 
very wild variations, so that it is almost impossible, without a 
very full suite of specimens, to fix the limits of any of these plants. 
Our figure represents what may be regarded as the normal form 
of C. officinalis, but this is very unlike the stunted variety which 
occurs near high-water mark. In the latter, the joints are some- 
times palmate, and much spread out; and altogether the plant 
looks so unlike its normal state that it may well be taken, as it 
has been, for something different. 
According to Dr. Johnson, several of the J7e/obesve are to be 
regarded as merely imperfectly developed states of this Coralline. 
Fig. 1. CoraLLINA OFFICINALIS :—of the natural size. 2. Branch with nor- 
mal ceramidia. 3. A Ceramidium. 4. The same, cut vertically. 5. A 
tetraspore from the same. 6. Branch with adxormal ceramidia. 7. Joint 
from the same, with three ceramidia. 8. Portion of the frond, after mace- 
ration in acids :—all more or less magnified. 
