401 MR. G. 8. WEST ON 
The late Mr. William Archer stated * that “it is not proven 
that some other form, whieh in the present state of knowledge 
we are constrained to suppose a distinet species, may not in 
truth be cnly a phase of variation or of development, or an 
‘alternation of generation’ of the actual species, whose extremes 
of variation, or whose life-history, are as yet unknown." Yet 
thateminent phycologist himself maintained that the inexperienced 
lumping together of species is as much to be deprecated as their 
over-multiplication. Klebs was certainly in error in grouping 
together many of the forms that he figured in his“ Desmidiaceen 
Ostpreussens " t, and concerning such treatment of these plants 
I will again quote a few remarks made by Archer $:—“1 would 
draw attention to a circumstance I am disposed to look upon 
as an almost unimpeachable argument as to their actual specific 
distinctness. I allude to the fact that, no matter how numerous 
or how few the fronds, the conjugating specimens always con- 
jugate like form or species with like form or species—the 
abundant with their abundant neighbours of the same species, 
the rare seeking out the rare of the same species, and over- 
looking the possibly more numerous specimens of a perhaps 
closely-allied species. And it is marvellous, however few a 
certain species may be amongst the mass of others, by what 
attraction or force these little vegetable organisms, not endowed 
with a special locomotive power, are impelled to seek only their 
fellows when about to conjugate, avoiding other more abundant 
species, themselves even, perhaps, conjugating with each other 
at the time.” But even allowing that the vast majority of these 
well-marked plants possess a specific distinctness, I would never- 
theless join with Dr. Roy $ in a protest against the “ multipli- 
cation of so-called varieties " by certain inexperienced. authors, 
who take no cognizance of the variability of species. As 
Dr. Roy remarks, “the time will no doubt come when species 
will be largely reduced, but it has not come yet; neither will it 
be accelerated by the indiscriminate manufacture of varieties, 
and still less by what is worse, varieties of varieties !” 
* W. Archer, “ Descript. of new sp. of Mierasferias, with remarks on the 
distinctions between M. rotata and M. denticulata." Quart. Journ. Mier. Sci. 
New Ser., vol. ii. 1862, pp. 236-7. 
T Schrift. d. physik.-oekonom. Gesellech. zu Kénigsberg, vol. xxii, 1879, 
pp. 1-42, tt. 1-3. 
t W. Archer, 7. e. p. 237. 
§ J. Roy & J. P. Bisset, “On Scott. Desm.," Ann. Scott, Nat. Hist., April 
1898. 
