194 MESSRS. W. WEST AND G. S. WEST ON 
number of the same species as occur in Madagascar. There is also a great resemblance 
between the Alga-flora of Ceylon and that of Northern Queensland, and the only two 
species known from Hong Kong (viz. Zriploceras gracile, Bail, and Pleurotenium 
Kayet, Rabenh.) are each found both in Ceylon and in Queensland. 
Some of the new species of the genus Staurastrum are deserving of special mention 
on account of their extraordinary forms ; such are —N, columbetoides, S. tauphorum, 
S. ceylanicum, S. Freeman, S. triforcipatum, and S. giganteum. 
The presence in Ceylon of Phymatodocis irregulare, Schmidle, a species recently 
described and known only from East Africa, is highly interesting, this genus having one 
species (P. alternans, Nordst.) confined to Brazil, one (P. Nordstedtiana, Wolle) known 
from the United States, Brazil, and New Zealand, and one (P. irregulare, Schmidle) now 
known from East Africa and Ceylon. : 
We look with regret upon the fact that so many of the descriptions and figures in 
W. B. Turner's “ Fresbw. Algz of E. India" (K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handi. 1893, Bd. xxv. 
no. 5} are deplorably insufficient and inaccurate, and also that the tendency of the author 
was to found a species upon inadequate grounds—often upon a somewhat crude drawing 
in the manuscript G. C. Wallich left in the possession of the Royal Microscopical Society. 
'This fact has rendered doubly difficult the task of identifying many of the Indian forms 
we have observed from Ceylon, and, unfortunately, it has caused other observers in many 
cases to have been led entirely astray in their interpretation of the nature of some of his 
species. 
Very few Algze were observed belonging to the families Confervacee and Ulotrichacez ; 
this we are unable to account for, as many of the collections were from suitable localities 
for these plants. 
Many other Algze were observed in addition to those recorded in this paper, but, owing 
to the somewhat fragmentary nature of the specimens, it was not possible to positively 
identify them. Only those Diatoms have been recorded which we could easily identify. 
Numerous others were observed, but we thought it more advisable to leave them until 
some future date when sufficient time could be expended on their determination. 
December, 1900. 
