are produced proliferously from the wounded part. The whole frond is 
traversed through its centre by an axis composed of innumerable, slender, 
intertwined filaments, which is sometimes very visible through the outer skin, 
at other times obscure, but may always be found by carefully making a 
transverse section of any part. From this axis there issue horizontally 
radiating dichotomous jointed filaments, which connect it with the wall or 
periphery of the frond. The interval between the filaments is filled with a 
watery gelatine. The fructification is abundantly scattered throughout the 
whole frond, and may invariably, I believe, be found on all specimens. 
It consists in spherical masses attached beneath the membranous periphery, 
‘and made up of densely packed filaments radiating from a central point. 
At maturity the outer portions of these develope spores. The colour varies 
from a brownish red to a clear transparent pink, and the substance from 
firmly membranaceous, to very tender and gelatinous. It shrinks very 
much in drying, and never perfectly recovers its form on re-immersion. 
The earliest description of this species was by Mr. Dawson 
‘Turner, i the year 1800, whose specimens were collected at 
Sheringham in Norfolk. Since that time it has been found on 
many parts of the shores of Europe, and also brought from very 
distant places in both hemispheres, and in the Pacific, as well as 
Atlantic Oceans. Those which I possess from the Southern Ocean, 
are in all respects identical with British specimens. 
But though this plant is so widely distributed, and ought to 
be so well known, a very remarkable feature of its structure has 
been passed over by most authors who have described it, and 
only recently mentioned by Professor J. Agardh, as characteristic 
of his var. 8. I allude to the avis or internal costa, which exists 
in all specimens which have come under my notice, though it is 
very much more apparent in some than in others. Owing to the 
imperfect manner in which the frond recovers its form on immer- 
sion, after having been dried, this costa cannot always be shown 
by a transverse cutting of a dried specimen; but in the recent 
plant it may at once be detected, even where most obscure. In 
the var. 8. it is remarkably strong, and appears in a flattened 
dried specimen like the mid-rib of a Delesseria. This I have 
already noticed in the ‘Manual’, as existing in specimens found 
by Miss Hutchins at Bantry. 
Vig. 1. GINNANIA FURCELLATA :—the natural size. 2. Apex of a branch :— 
slightly magnified. 3. Transverse section. 4. Longitudinal semi-section 
of a branch. 5. Vertical view of the membrane of the frond. 6. Portion 
of one of the radiating filaments and of the cellules of the periphery. 7. 
Globule of fructification :—al/ more or less highly magnified. 
