NITOPHYLLUM — CHLOROSPERMS. 63 



and then the colouring matter is shot out with 

 a slight crackling noise. 



Its length is generally about four or five 

 inches. A drawing of the plant of the natural 

 size, together with a magnified sketch of the fruit, 

 may be seen on plate k, fig. 1. 



The last of the Ehodosperms that will be 

 noticed in this volume is a very delicate species, 

 entitled Nitophyllum punctatum; see plate c, 

 fig. 5. This plant will easily be recognised from 

 the drawing. Its usual size is six or ten inches 

 in length, and nearly as wide ; but it is not un- 

 common to find specimens that exceed a foot in 

 length, while some huge monsters have been found 

 that measured five feet in length and a yard in 

 width. It is easy enough to distinguish this 

 plant from the Delesseria, as it has no midrib. 



The Chlorosperms, or Green-seeded Alga, are 

 the best friends of those who keep marine aquaria, 

 for they are endowed with the power of pouring 

 out oxygen in very large quantities when placed 

 in favourable circumstances. If any of my 

 readers wish to preserve alive the creatures that 

 they find on the sea-shore, they can do so without 

 difficulty, by imitating as nearly as possible the 

 natural state and accompaniments of the animals 

 which they have captured. 



