Mae albis 
110 Rhodora [JUNE 
to separate F. cristula from F. foveolata except the peculiar elaters. 
In F. foveolata these are of the type normal to the genus. They are 
more or less curved and contorted and usually measure 60-100 u in 
length and about 10 u in greatest diameter. The spirals are distinct 
and deeply pigmented with yellowish brown. "There are usually two 
spirals running from end to end, but one or both of these may branch, 
so that the elater may show three or four spirals through a part of its 
length. The thin part of the wall sometimes disappears at maturity. 
The elaters taper somewhat, the ends themselves being either sharp- 
pointed or blunt. 
Although the difference in the elaters is so striking, the lack of other 
differential characters separating F. cristula from F. foveolata is some- 
what disconcerting. Might it not be possible that the reduced elaters 
of F. cristula were the result of unfavorable conditions during the 
development of the sporophyte? At the present time there is no 
evidence to support such an idea. "The capsules of F. cristula present 
no appearance of incomplete or abnormal development, and reduced 
elaters of the F. cristula type have not been reported from Europe, 
where F. foveolata is as common as in North America. The only 
observations which have any bearing on the question are those of 
Macvicar ' in his discussion of F. echinata Macv. and F. caespitiformis 
De Not., two species of Europe and northern Africa. He finds that 
the elaters here sometimes become shorter and thicker than is usual, 
and he associates this condition with incomplete development. "These 
thick elaters, however, still show distinct spirals so that they do not 
simulate very closely the annular elaters of F. cristula. Until evidence 
is brought forward showing that F. cristula is an undeveloped abnormal 
form of F. foveolata, it seems justifiable to regard it as a valid species 
or, at any rate, as a " kleine Art." 
Austin proposed F. cristula nearly fifty years ago, and its distinct- 
ness has been recognized by Lindberg, Underwood, and Stephani. 
In spite of these facts no stations have been cited for the species 
except the original locality. A short time ago Dr. G. H. Conklin sent 
a slide of the Indiana material for examination with the suggestion 
that it might represent F. cristula. A comparison with the material 
in Austin's Hep. Bor.-Amer. showed that this suggestion was correct j 
and led to a re-examination of the material preserved as F. foveolata in 
1 Rev. Bryol. 38: 74. 1911. 
2 Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn, 10 : 533. 1875. 
