12 COCCOPHYCE^E. 



Palmella Moore ana. Harv. Man. p. 178. 

 Thallns irregularly globose, tuberculate, dark green, gelati- 

 nous, firm. Cells nearly equal, pale green. 

 SIZE. Cells -008 X 005 mm. 

 Rabh. Alg. iii. p. 34. 

 Coccochloris Mooreana, Hass. Alg. 316, t. 78, f. 1. 



In bogs and stagnant water. 



" The fronds are of an irregular globose form, about an inch in 

 diameter, tuberculated, and inclining to become hollow in the centre 

 when old, at which time it floats on the surface ; the colour is dark- 

 green and the substance firm, resembling that of an animal's liver." 

 Moore. 



We found this species floating freely in a pond in Sntton Park, Bir- 

 mingham. In this condition it has jnst the appearance and texture of a 

 Nostoc. Is it distinct from Aphanothece prasina ? 



Plate V. fig, 4. a, plant natural size ; 6, portion X 400 diaua. 



** Reddish or orange. 



Palmella miniata, var. sequalis. Nag. Einz. Alg. t. 4, D. 2. 



Thallus expanded, soft, amorphous, brick-red ; cells nearly 

 equal, tegument somewhat thick, colourless, hyaline, indistinctly 

 striate ; contents orange, sometimes greenish. 



SIZE. Cells -012--014 mm. 



Rabh. Alg. iii. 34. Rabh. Exs. No. 1778. 



Sorospora grumosa, Hass. Alg. p. 310, t. 80, f. 7. ? 



On wet rocks, moist ground, &c. 



We are of opinion that this is the Sorospora grumosa of Hassall. The 

 typical form of Palmella miniata has very minute cells, not exceeding 

 0035-'004 mm., but this variety, if it be not a distinct species, has cells 

 nearly four times as large. 



Plate V.fig. 2. Portion of thallus, magnified 400 diam. 



Palmella prodigiosa. JMont. Comptes Rend. 1852, 119. 



Thallus more or less expanded, blood- red, as age advances 

 moist, or sometimes dripping ; cells very minute, globose, 

 crowded. 



SIZE. Cells -00075--001 mm. (Rabh.). 



Rabh. Alg. iii. 34. Stephens, Ann. Nat. Hist. 2 Ser. (1853), 

 xii. 409. Berk, in Gard. Chron. 1853, p. 515. 



Monas prodigiosa, Ehrb. Monat. Berl. 1848. 



Zoogalactina imetropha, Sette. Mem. Ven. 1824. 



On rice, bread, potatoes, &c. 



In the time of Ehrenberg this was considered a minute animal, and 

 was included amongst Monads. The blood-red spots which it forms on 

 bread, rice, potatoes, and other mealy substances, caused great alarm in 

 more superstitious times. Until very recently opinions were by no 

 means settled on this subject. The Rev. M. J. Berkeley held it to be a 

 condition of fungoid life, and in his "Introduction"* he says, "Pal- 

 mella prodigiosa, from its peculiar habit, seems rather to indicate 

 affinity with fungi. The rapidity with which it spreads over meat, 



* " Introduction to Cryptogamic Botany," p. 



