OF THE MARINE ALGA5. 
89 
CHAPTER X. 
OF THE MARINE ALGiE. 
The beauty of colouring and delicacy of form exhibited 
by the generality of the Algae inhabiting the ocean have 
always made them great favourites with botanists ; and 
even those persons for whom botany has no charms may 
be seen eagerly searching for these lovely plants among 
the debris scattered along the seashore. 
Of course, where the student has the opportunity of 
gathering them for himself, it is far better to study their 
habits and watch their changes of growth in their native 
haunts, than to trust to dried specimens : moreover, he 
will be saved much time and patience, both of which are 
largely called for in the task of disentangling a complicated 
network of Algge which have lain long between the sheets 
of an herbarium. Nevertheless, there are many who are 
either altogether debarred from visiting the seaside, or can 
do so at long intervals only ; but even these need not 
despair of making acquaintance with the marine flora. 
Besides, it often happens that the collector is prevented by 
want of time from at once preparing a large number of 
specimens for the herbarium. It is well then to know 
that Alga3 which have been roughly dried for mere pre- 
servation will, upon being carefully remoistened, regain so 
much of their natural beauty as to please even a critical 
eye. Indeed, under certain circumstances, this prelimi- 
nary drying has positive advantages. For instance, there 
are certain species which have the unpleasant peculiarity, 
when the fresh specimens are being dried, of discharging a 
portion of their cell contents, thereby spotting and staining 
the paper on which they lie. Such are the genus Aglao- 
