Photographs of British Algae:

Cyanotype Impressions

1843

______________________________________________________________________________

The difficulty of making accurate drawings of objects so minute as many of the algae and confervae has induced me to avail myself of Sir John Herschel's beautiful process of cyanotype to obtain impressions of the plants themselves, which I have much pleasure in offering to my botanist friends.

I hope that in general the impressions will be found sharp and well defined, but in some instances (such as the Fuci) the thickness of the specimens makes it impossible to press the glass used in taking photographs sufficiently close to them to ensure a perfect representation of every part. Being however unwilling to omit any species to which I had access, I have preferred giving such impressions as I could obtain of these thicker objects, to their entire omission. – I take this opportunity of returning m thanks to the friends who have allowed me to use their collections of Algae on this occasion. –

The names refer to Harvey's "Manual of British Algae" – I have taken the tibes and species in their prosper order when i was able to do so, but in man cases I have been compelled to make long gasps, from the want of the plants that should have been neat inserted, and in this first number I have intentionally departed fom the systematic arrangement, that I might give specimens of any various characters as a sample.

A. A.