XVI 
INTRODUCTION. 
snail shells (lanthina fragilis) and Portuguese men-of-war {Physalia pelagica and Velella 
spirans), which it is universally admitted are drifted to Ireland and Scilly from hot latitudes 
by the Gulf-stream, are also found along the coasts of Cornwall and Devonshire? Surely this 
diverting current off the Scillys is rather a mythical idea? Moreover, it is not Captain 
Maury’s belief, who figures his lines of influence as extending not only up the Irish Channel, 
but a few of them along the south coast of England and slightly north-east beyond, until lost 
in the stronger downward current from the North Seas. 
People may adopt which theory they like best, but those who have seen the coast of County 
Clare, the Isle of Man, and the north-east shores of England, will have a strong leaning 
towards Maury’s creed. It solves all the difficulties presented to them by the different appear- 
ance of the waters in those places, and the different vegetation to be found in them. Sea-weed 
collectors need only be told that Sphcerococcus coronopifoUus (Fig. 191) exists at Douglas, and 
Odonthalia dentata (Fig. 99) at Filey, to be aware that there must be some very decided cause 
to account for so great a difference in the growths of two places in the same latitude. And 
many other warm-sea-loving plants occur in the Isle of Man which are quite unknown on the 
north-east coast, as Bonnemaisonia asparagoides (Fig. 133), Callithamnions plumula and 
thuyoideum (Figs. 254, 275), Naccaria Wiggii (Fig. 218), Chylocladia (now Lomentarid) 
haliformis (Fig. 146), Griffithsia corallina (Fig. 252), and wffio knows how many etceteras, 
if one could but get at accurate information ? 
A limited visit to one locality goes but a small way towards an acquaintance with its 
treasures ; and it is to be wished that more was ascertained about that unusually charming 
island, with its soft climate, blue sea, bad farming, bare-legged, begging population, beautiful 
scenery, remarkable antiquities, and last, not least in love, its exquisite sea-weed shores. 
Would that some one might take this hint ! for if more efforts were made towards 
announcing individual experiences on different coasts, a large amount of testimony information 
would be secured, which at present dies out and is lost. 
A few words remain to be said about the descriptions of the Plates which follow; the 
most important being an assurance to the reader that he is secured from the danger of 
meeting with serious errors, by the fact that private friendship has enabled me to consult 
Dr. Harvey from first to last throughout, as also to make use of his various works. 
Those works are intended for scientific or, certainly, advanced students, and any one who will 
compare his descriptions with mine will discover that what I have done — or rather what I 
have attempted to do — is to bring his scientific statements within the range of general com- 
prehension by such alterations of language as might soften the technical difficulties which are 
such a stumbling-block to amateur beginners. 
Should any one, from looking at these descriptions, desire to rise out of amateurship into 
science, he will seek and find his proper food elsewhere. The books are open for those who 
can understand them, and those will understand them who care sufficiently to try, and will find 
the pursuit a charmed one. So that to have assisted in whetting the appetite of any worthy 
disciple in favour of it would be a fact to reflect upon with pleasure, and make the labour 
bestowed on these pages seem well employed. And who can doubt that those who desire to 
take the higher flight, will be all the better able to do so from having condescended to begin 
as children, and -work upwards by childish steps ? 
They may laugh hereafter, perhaps, at ever having looked at a book which translates ramuli 
