IX.-FRESHWATER ALG^E OF THE SOUTH ORKNEYS. 1 



By F. E. FRITSOH, D.Sc., Ph.D., East London College (University of London). 



(With Two Plates.) 



A. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 



IN the year 1905 1 received from Dr R. N. Rudmose Brown seventeen tubes of fresh- 

 water and subaerial algsa collected by him in the South Orkneys, while acting as 

 botanist to the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-04). I am glad to 

 have this opportunity of thanking him for placing this interesting material at my 

 disposal. 



Our knowledge of Antarctic freshwater algse is at present not very extensive. 

 The first important contribution was that of Hooker and Harvey, 2 based on the material 

 collected by the Erebus and Terror in 1839-43. This was followed about thirty-five 

 years later by two papers of Reinsch, 3 containing a description of the algse collected by 

 the Rev. A. E. Eaton on the island of Kerguelen. A later paper by Reinsch 4 deals with 

 freshwater algse collected by Dr H. Will in South Georgia. Wille 5 has further described 

 a few forms brought by C. E. Borchgrevink from the Antarctic continent, and 

 De Wildeman a number of algse collected by E. Racovitza of the Belgian Antarctic 

 Expedition. 6 In 1909, lastly, there appeared the important contribution of Van Heurck 

 on the diatoms of the same expedition. 7 



1 Revised and reprinted from Journ. Linn. Soc. Land., Hot., vol. xl., 1912, pp. 293-338. 



2 J. D. Hooker, The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. discovery ships "Erebus" and "Terror" in the years 

 1839-43 (Flora Antarctica), London, 1844 : " Alga- " (by W. H. Harvey and J. D. Hooker), vol. i. pp. 175-193 ; vol. ii. 

 pp. 454-519. 



3 P. F. Reinsch, " Species ac Genera nova Algarum aquse dulcis, quae sunt inventa in speciminibus in expeditiorie 

 Vener. transit, hieme 1874-75 in Insula Kerguelensi a clar. Eaton collectis," Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot., xv., 1876 ; P. F. 

 Reinsch, " Freshwater Algse collected by the Rev. A. E. Eaton (Alga? aqua; dulcis Insulw Kergnelensis) : Account 

 of the Petrological, Botanical, and Zoological collections made in Kerguelen's Land and Rodriguez during the Transit 

 of Venus Expeditions, 1874-75," Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lund., vol. 1G8, 1879, pp. 65-92. See also W. Archer, 

 " Note on the Freshwater Alg;t> collected by H. N. Moseley in Kerguelen's Land," Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot., xv., 

 1876, pp. 445-446 ; E. O'Meara, " On the Diatomaceous gatherings made at Kerguelen's Land by H. N. Moseley, 

 H.M.S. Challenger," loc. cit., pp. 55-59. 



4 P. F. Reinsch, "Die Susswasseralgenflora von Sud-Georgien," l>ie internalionale Polarforschung, 1882-83. 

 Die deutschen Expeditions und ihre Ergebnisse, Bd. ii., Berlin, 1890, pp. 329-365, Jahrb. i.-iv. 



5 N. Wille, " Mitteihnigen uln-r ciiiigi- von C. E. Borchgrevink auf dem antarktischen Festlande gesammelte 

 Pflanzen : III. Antarktische Algen (by N. Wille) ; IV. ftariculii mutini, Kiitz., ans dem antavktischen Festlande (by 

 .1. Holmboe)," Nyt Mmj,i~>nf. Naturvid,nd<il,, xl., 1902, pp. 209-222, pi. iii.-iv. 



E. de Wildeman, "Note pn'-liminaire sur le* Algnes rapportees par M. E. Racovitza, naturaliste de ^expedition 

 antarctique beige," Bull. . 1 cm/. A'.///. <!, Beli/ii/in.; 1900, pp. 558-569. 



7 Van Heurck, " Diatonu'-es," in Ren. c,i//u,/c dn $.//. " Belgicu " en 7.W-9.9, Antwerp, 1909, pp. 1-128, pis. i.-xiii. 

 Whilst the present paper lias been in the press, there has also appeared Messrs West's report on the Freshwater 



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