SEA-WEEDS, or Algre, are cellular flowerless plants belonging to the class Thallogens of botanists. Alga: are found both in salt and fresh water, have a wide geographical range, and in the domestic economy and manufactures of man they are of no little importance. Chondrus erispus, the Carmgeen moss, supplies a nutritious article of diet as a demulcent, in the form of decoction or jelly. The tangles Laminaria saccharina and L. digitata, also the dubse and species of Porphyria and Ulva, known as the green and purple lavers, are used as food ; and nearly all the species of Laminaria, Alaria, and Fucus are used as manure, or are burnt for kelp, an impure carbonate of soda, and iodine is extracted from them.
Of the Confervacere in the seas of the south and east of Asia, are to be found the Ulva latissima, Linn., and U. crispa, Lightfoot, and Porphyra vulgaris, Ag., lavers valued in scrofulous cases. The last named is gathered by the Hakinis of Sind just before the monsoon, and given along with emulsion of almonds. Ulva reticulata, Forsk., is a very beautiful reticulated sea-weed of the Eastern Archipelago.
Of the Fucacem or sea-wracks, tbe Sargassum bacciferum, or sea-grapes, occurs in all seas. Netts distichus, Linn., F. nodosus, L., and F. vesiculosus, Linn.; the tangles, Laminaria bulbosa, Ag., L. digitata, L. saccharina, Lam., with Zonaria pavo Ag., Dictyota dichotoma, Lamour., also Chor daria flagelliformis, Ag. ; Bryopsis plumosa, Ag., Codium bursa, Ag., and C. tomentosum, Stack house. Of these Fue.acem, F. vosiculosus is sup posed to be the basis of the popular Anti-Fat ; its vesicles, and their tincture, and tho calcined powder, are given in glandular swellings and in rheumatism. F. distichus is a deobstruent. Laminaria saccharina, Lam., is brought to India, from the Caspian Sea, and it is said frotn the Tibetan lakes, and in the form of a syrup, with a decoction of quince seeds, is a favourite remedy in syphilitic eruptions ; it is also burned into kelp. When 'dried in the sun, a whitish manna-like sub *stance exudes.
Of the Ceramiacem the rose tangles, several genera occur, viz. Callithamnion corymbosutu, Ag., C. plumula, Lyngbye, with Ceramium pedi
eellatum, Ag., and C. rubrum, Ag. ; also Chondrus crispus, Lyngbye, and Rhodymenia jnbata, Grer.; and the Chondrus crispus is employed instead of isinglass for making blancmange and jellies.
To the Siphonacere, or green algm, belong Udotea, Halimeda and its allies.
To the Corallinacem, or red algm, belong Lithothamnion and allied genera.
Sea-weeds commonly eaten by the Burmans are the Gigartina spinosa, Grey., which is the Agar agar of the Malays, and the Sphturococcus lichenoides, Ag., the Ceylon moss of commerce. These are usually called by the Burmans Kyouk puen.
The whole coast from Shan-tung to the south of China, and all the coa-sta of Corea and Japan, furnish large quantitiea of sea-weed, mpecies of Laininaria, Rhodymenia, Iridsea, etc., which by the Chinese are made into size, jelly, and many excellent dishes of their food. The sea-weed known in British India as Gillur-ka-patta (Hisn.) IA sup posed to bo gathered at the mouth of the Saglialin river. The Chinese regard a diet of sea-weed as cooling but debilitating. The Kwan-pu or tangle is given in dropsies. The Yang-tsai of the Chinese is a clarified se-a-weed ; is made in Japan, and exported to China, and is said to be classed as isinglass.
The Japanese go out in their nmall boats to the rocks, and with long sticks, to which is attached a piece of iron to serve as a knife, they sever the weed from the rock or bottom of the sea. The instrument may be 20 feet long, the blade about 18 inches. This weed is a valuable export from Japan; it is edible, and, with rice, constitutes part of the Chinese cuisine. It is exported to China, and then sent up to those countries where salt is dear, being lighter as merchandise, and well adapted for cooking.— Hodgson's Nagasaki, p. 63 ; Smith's ; Murray.
SEB, a divinity of the ancient Egyptians, analogous to the Chronos of the Greeks and Latins. With them the egg of the goose was the emblem of Seb. Seb, also Seo and Sev, a mode of pronouncing the narne of the Hindu god Siva, whose emblem is the conical-formed ling,am. —Bunsen.