THE «^lt<3AI^ ITEfiB. 



slmlluw water, it sunk, but where tlic deptli of 

 wajasF was great, Ib&lwilk wat^ & il^f 



air vesicles is most pf^ljably intended for the pur 

 pose f)f 1 trill" inp; some portion of tlio j)lant in con- 

 tact with atmospheric air, or by keeping the plant 

 i& tii% of tisas iviit0x^ receive a greater 



shoots or other parts of thcptltzil being injured by 



the violent action of the waves. We find in the 

 fiicus huccinaliSjOr trumpet weed of the Cape, that 

 stem is hollow, accommodating itself in length 

 to Hie j^eptli 0f water to. wMsk tt §mm ^ 

 fiittaehed to tlic ground hy ramified roots i Ihe 

 stein terminating in a crown of broad leaves ex- 

 panded on tlie sia'face of the water, and kept in 

 that situation by a broad air bladder, in wJiich the 



t^imti^l^ u^teter wmu i it tmf die 

 plant also in m^^nlng Itsdf against the force 

 of the waves in the exposed sitaations in which it 



is nsnall)' found. 



Air-bladders are not confined to sea weeds ; 

 several plants growing in fresh water are simOarly 

 providedi Ofiisje^f'&ie J^i^mettm 



the rivers of Amboyna, is a remarkable example. 

 Al<.)n!i," it> j^talk are many lar^^^ oval tnlM reles, 

 iiill of air, and each oi" these is compounded of 



