( "5 ) 
food or pickles by ourfelves. The formation 
of fome of the genera, which belong to the 
aquatic divifion of this order, is worthy of 
remark. The conferva aegagropila is of a 
globular form, from the fize of a walnut to 
that of a melon, much refembling the balls of 
hair found in the ftomachs of cows. It does 
not adhere to any thing, but rolls from one 
part of the lake, on which it lives, to another. 
The conferva vagabunda has it's name from it's 
wandering habits. It dwells on the european 
feas, travelling along in the midft of the waves. 
Thefe may not improperly be called itinerant 
vegetables. In the fame manner, the fucus 
natans ftrikes no roots into the earth, but 
floats on the fea in extenfive manes, and may 
be faid to be a plant of paflage, as it is wafted 
by the winds from one more to another. The 
byffus 0 os- aquae, water (lower, f oats on the 
fea all day, and finks a little during the night; 
as if to protect itfelf from the injuries of noc- 
turnal air ; or pofTibly this may be it's mode 
of fleeping or taking reft. 
The changes of appearance in conferva po- 
lymorpha are molt extraordinary, and have 
given rife to fome beautiful lines in the Botanic 
garden. This plant twice changes it's colour 
from red to brown, and then to black, and va- 
ries 
