GATHERING  OF  CARRAGEEN  IN  MASSACHUSETTS.  419 
mess  towards  the  tropics.  But  while  CJiondrus  crispus  appears, 
under  certain  conditions,  to  abound  in  the  temperate  zone,  it  is 
generally  incrusted  with  various  minute  mollusca,  that  causes  its 
rejection  by  the  dealers.  The  rocks  on  the  shores  of  Scituate, 
in  the  main,  undoubtedly  produce  the  best  article  yet  discovered 
in  this  country.  But  there  are  ledges  here,  where  the  muscle 
attaches  to  the  plant,  that  are  wholly  abandoned  by  the  mossers. 
Indeed,  the  range  of  the  clean-growing  Chondrus  seems  to  be 
very  limited. 
It  has  been  remarked  by  those  who  have  visited  Cape  Ann 
and  the  eastern  shore  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  quality  of 
the  moss  growing  there,  that  the  product  of  those  parts  is  of  a 
coarse  and  limy  character.  Perhaps,  however,  this  moss,  in 
some  instances,  may  be  susceptible  of  improvement.  The  old 
plant  should  first  be  entirely  removed,  which  would  be  immedi- 
ately succeeded  by  a  new  growth ;  and  if  this  exhibits  a  marked 
superiority  over  the  old  plants  much  may  be  expected  of  the 
ledge,  for  each  successive  "pull"  will  produce  an  improvement 
in  the  moss.  That  the  abundant  moss  growing  to  the  eastward 
has  not  been  fairly  subjected  to  this  test,  and  the  improved  arti- 
cle brought  into  market,  indicates  either  a  want  of  knowledge  of 
the  necessary  process  of  improving,  or  the  absence  of  those  whose 
habits  would  naturally  lead  them  to  engage  in  the  business  ;  or 
it  may  be  that  the  plant  in  that  quarter  is  not  susceptible  of  any 
improvement,  as  the  report  goes. 
As  regards  perpendicular  direction,  Forbes  remarks  that  one 
great  marine  belt  or  zone  lies  between  high  and  low-water  marks, 
and  varies  in  species  according  to  the  kind  of  coast,  but  exhibits 
similar  phenomena  throughout  the  northern  hemisphere.  This 
is  denominated  the  littoral  zone,  and  necessarily  varies  according 
to  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides.  If  I  am  right  in  my  identifica- 
tion, the  Fucus  canaliculatus  forms  the  upper  sub-region  of  this 
zone,  followed  by  a  broad  belt  of  F.  nodosus  and,  perhaps,  F. 
versiculosus  and  F.  serratus.  This  is  succeeded  by  a  narrow  belt 
of  Chondrus  crispus,  interspersed  with  Rhodomenia  palmata  and 
Laminaria  saccharina,  which  is  exposed  only  at  low  ebbs.  The 
Chondrus  crispus,  however,  extends  some  distance  below  low- 
water  mark  in  to  the  laminarian  zone,  its  fronds  increasing  in 
