22 SEA MOSSES. 



with your pliers, shake them out and clean their 

 of any adhering sand or shells, trim away parasites 

 and superfluous branches, and generally make them 

 ready for "floating out." Thence, transfer them, one 

 at a time, as you " float them," to the other dish. 

 Then take your card, or your paper, selecting a 

 piece large enough to give the plant ample room, 

 and leave a margin of white all around, and having 

 dipped it in the water, put it quite under the 

 floating plant, holding the paper with your left hand 

 and managing the plant with the right. Now float 

 the plant out over the paper, and draw the root or 

 base of it up near to the end of the paper next 

 your hand, so that you can hold it down on the 

 paper with the thumb of your left hand, the rest of 

 that hand being under the paper in the water. 

 Now, slowly lift the paper up to the surface and 

 draw it out of the water, in such a way that the 

 water will flow off from it in two or three directions. 

 This will spread the plant out somewhat evenly over 

 the paper. But in many cases you will need tc 

 arrange the branches in their most natural and grace- 

 ful position and also take care that they do not get 

 massed upon each other, and make unsightly heaps, 

 while other places are left bare. They should be 

 carefully arranged so as to make the most beautiful 



