531 
the Colony of Western Australia. 
of the reef, and afford well-sheltered nooks for a variety of beautiful Algte. The 
water in these basins is always intensely transparent; the bottom frequently of 
white sand; and the steep and craggy sides clothed with Algm vegetation, in 
which the brightest tints of green, purple, carmine, and olive, and the most grace- 
ful waving forms, are mingled in rich variety. Here is the favourite locality of 
some eight or ten species of Caulerpa., of several very distinct forms, and every 
one a beautiful object. All these are green ; but the tints vary from the darkest 
bottle-green to the pale, fresh green of an opening beech leaf. Some resemble 
soft ostrich feathers ; others, branches of the Norfolk Island pine ; others, strings 
of beads ; others, squirrels’ or cats’ tails ; and C. scalpelliformis is like a double 
saw. Under the shelter of the Caulerpce the smaller Rhodosperms (such as 
DasycB and Callithamnia) are often found. But these are most numerous on 
the perpendicular sides of the border reefs, where also rich meadows of Cau- 
lerpce are seen waving in the clear water, from a foot beneath the surface to a 
considerable depth. Various FueoidecB and EcUonia radiata are scattered here 
and there through the deeper pools, and on the sides of the reef. None of these 
are ever left dry at low water. In many places a profusion of a Bryopsis (B. 
Australis) enlivens the rocks with its silky tufts of green, each tuft separate 
from its neighbour. Some of the shallower reefs, near high-water mark, are 
partially covered with sand: and this is the habitat of Penicillus arhuscula., a little 
green Alga, which may be compared either to a miniature tree, or to a shaving- 
brush. Struvea plumosa abounds on all the reefs, at about half tide level, ge- 
nerally growing on the very edges of the rock-pools and border- reefs. I obtained 
from Mr. Sanford, Colonial Secretary, a specimen of a new Struvea, sent by 
Mrs. Drummond from Champion Bay, differing from S. plumosa in its vastly 
larger size, and more compound network. The specimen has been bleached 
white, and in this state strongly resembles a beautiful pattern of old point-lace, 
and might be made into ladies’ collars, as it is of a tough substance. 
I shall conclude this summary with a few remarks on the geographical dis- 
tribution of the species collected. 
The annexed descriptive catalogue contains 352 species: of which 277 are 
(so far as we yet know) peculiar to the Australasian Flora, and 75 belong 
either to pelagic species, or to more or less distant botanical regions. They 
are grouped as follow^s: — 
3 z 
VOL. XXII. 
