1908] Collins,— Notes on Algae. IX 161 
dead; the normally dark and shining wiry fronds were a brownish 
yellow, and their surface was variegated with “collars” of Ralfsia 
verrucosa Aresch. The Ahnfeltia is common all along the Maine 
coast, as is also the Ralfsia, but the latter has never been observed to 
grow on the former under normal conditions. Luxuriant coatings 
of Ralfsia were found on the dead or dying floating fronds of Fucus 
vesiculosus L., F. evansecens Ag., and Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le 
Jolis. The Ralfsia formed a continuous coating on practically the 
whole surface of these fronds, though never occurring on them in their 
natural habitat, whether attached or floating. 
The other locality noticed was at Ragged Island, about five miles 
off the Maine shore, between Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small Point. 
The island is about half a mile in diameter, the coast entirely rock 
cliff, often rising perpendicularly for some height. Оп the south side 
there are perpendicular rocks of this character, the top considerably 
above even the spring tides. From some peculiarity of this rock, 
there is a series of rather large and deep pools just back from the 
edge; into these pools a certain amount of fresh water drains from 
the neighboring part of the island, but the supply must be small; apart 
from this, and whatever rain falls into the pools, the only supply is 
from the surf breaking over the wall. During a gale this supply 
must be continuous, but in ordinary weather it is cut off. It is evi- 
dent that a great range in temperature and salinity is possible here. If 
we suppose the pools filled by a storm, and then a long period of quiet 
weather without rain, the salinity must steadily increase. А rainfall 
would somewhat diminish it, but only a very heavy rain, sufficient to 
fill the pools and run over, could bring the salinity below that of the 
surrounding sea. ‘The salinity would be higher than normal until 
a severe storm should throw in water enough to fill the pools several 
times over, practically replacing the contents with normal salt water. 
Whenever the pools were so filled, the temperature would be that of 
the sea, which here is very cool, even at midsummer, while in winter 
they would be undoubtedly frozen, and a few hot calm days in summer 
would bring them to a temperature reached by the sea only in the 
tropics. ‘The list of permanent tenants of such a pool would be reduced 
to forms capable of enduring very salt water as well as the ordinary 
salinity, and both tropical and arctic temperatures. On the other 
hand, plants developing very quickly under favorable conditions, form- 
ing at once spores that will carry them through unfavorable condi- 
