110 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[May 1, 1S69. 



h& 





made last November near this city, a locality I 

 chanced to pass, having to go that way to visit a 

 factory. I shall visit it again this spring, as the first 

 haul was so satisfactory. Examine it in fluid, and you 

 will see Gomphonema const rictum and 67. capitatum 

 growing on the same stalk. I always suspected 

 these were but one species, and here we have proof 

 of it. I tried to keep this gathering alive and rear 

 the Gomphonema; but, though the Conferva is still in 

 a healthy condition, the Diatoms all dropped off. 

 Perhaps this was their normal mode of passing the 

 winter ; and I may yet have them again. I shall 

 watch it with interest, as I am anxious to discover, 

 if I can, how some forms pass the winter." 

 This letter was addressed with the bottles to my 

 late friend and correspondent Pro- 

 fessor G. Walker-Arnott, of Glas- 

 gow University. The lamented 

 death of this gentleman before the 

 communication reached him, re- 

 sulted in Dr. Edwards expressing 

 a desire that they should be trans- 

 ferred to the Quekett Microsco- 

 pical Club, and, at the request of 

 the Honorary Secretary for Foreign 

 Correspondence, I have examined 

 the contents of both bottles with 

 the following results. 



The bottle marked " Sediment, 

 Croton water" (the water supply 

 of New York is obtained from the 

 Croton river), contains the follow- 

 ing forms : — ■ 



Orthosira orichalcea = Gal- 

 lionella c rot one ns is, Bailey. 



Orthosira punctata (Smith) 

 = Gallionella marchica, Gallionella 

 granulata, &c, of Ehrenberg. — 

 I refer the form in this material 

 without hesitation to the species 

 described and figured in the " Sy- 

 nopsis," having had the oppor- 

 tunity of comparing it with speci- 

 mens prepared from a portion of 

 the gathering in which Professor 

 Smith found the form he describes 

 and figures. The spines, so con- 

 spicuous in the Croton water specimens, may also 

 be detected in the British species, although not 

 figured in the " Synopsis " (probably overlooked in 

 the balsamed slides). I cannot determine satisfac- 

 torily the presence of the spines on every frustule, 

 but faint traces of them may be seen in the frus- 

 tules adjoining those bearing spines (fig. SO). 



Amphiprora orxata, Bailey.— This very com- 

 mon and distinct species is not unfrequent in this 

 gathering; and as it has recently been found in Great 

 Britain, I give a specific description. 



Frustule constricted, ends broadly rounded ; con- 



ganmai 



Fig. SO. Orthosira 

 punctata, X 400. 



necting zone marked with a series of irregular lines 

 (? annule) ; valve narrow, linear, elliptical ; keel con- 

 spicuous, twisted, with a broad marginal band, den- 

 tate on the inner margin, and delicately punctate 

 (fig. 79).— Croton water, New York, Dr. Edwards; 

 Lough Gartan, Dr. W. Arnott and F. Kitton. 



Cyclotella rotula, fine, and the spines con- 

 spicuous. 



Cyclotella minutula. Kutz. 



Cyclotella ktjtzingiana. Thw. 



ASTERIOXELLA GRACILLIMA, Hantzscll. — This 



form is probably only a variety of Asterionellaformosa. 

 It is of much more frequent occurrence than the 

 latter. The stellate arrangement of the frustules 

 has been destroyed in this gathering by too long 

 maceration in the water ; but the frustules are pre- 

 cisely like those found living in this country. It is 

 of frequent occurrence in the water supplied to 

 Norwich, and also in gatherings from Ormesby 

 Broad (Norfolk). 



The form Dr. Edwards supposes to be a Fragil- 

 laria, I have some hesitation in referring to that 

 genus. If we adopt the usual mode of taking generic 

 characters from the valve, it is impossible to dis- 

 tinguish it from Synedra; if from its mode of growth, 

 it shows greater affinities to Fragillaria. I there- 

 fore place it in Fragillaria, and append a short 

 specific character. 



Fig. 81. Fragillaria Crotonensis. 



Fragillaria Crotonensis, n. s., F. Kitton — 

 Frustules linear, inflated at the central part, where 

 they cohere and form a ribbon-like filament ; valve 

 narrow, acicular ; striae faint, moniliform (fig. 81).— 

 Croton water, New York, Dr. Edwards. 



The contents of bottle No. 2 exhibit, as Dr. 

 Edwards states, Gomphonema capitatum sad. Gompho- 

 nema const rictum, both growing on the same stipes. 



Norwich. 



Microscopical Seeds.— Correspondents making 

 inquiries for small seeds in common cultivation may 

 obtain a great variety, on moderate terms, from a 

 practical microscopist, Mr. W. Thompson, Seeds- 

 man, Tavern Street, Ipswich. 



