ALGM. 269 



done, and most helpful to those who work with the book. 

 One cannot help lamenting that absolute as well as relative 

 measurements of size should be held to be a character— and 

 the fashion is spreading into other departments of crypto- 

 gamic botany. One knows how disastrously it has worked 

 in species-making of Diatoms (which may vary to the extent 

 of half their size), and how deadly a weapon it proves in the 

 hand of a rabid species-maker ; but in the present case no 

 one can blame M. Gomont for any abuse of the character of 

 absolute size — it is in fact kept to a strictly subordinate 

 value. M. Gomont has merited unreserved congratulations. 

 The papers grouped under (13) are systematic, and deal 

 with the marine Algae of the Scandinavian shores of the 

 North Sea and its basins, and our own coasts as well. They 

 are all of a character to interest students of British phycology, 

 since the Scandinavian Algae, when not identical with our 

 own, are very closely allied. Major Reinbold's marine flora 

 of Kiel Bay is concluded in the part cited, and we now have 

 a critical account of the region that yielded many of the 

 interesting- plants of Reinke's Atlas deutscher Mecresalgen. 

 Major Reinbold has done it exceedingly well, and his dis- 

 crimination of species is the work of an acute and enthusiastic 

 specialist. The same remark applies to Foslie's study of 

 the Norwegian forms of Ceramium, a genus of heart- 

 breaking tendency to vary. The students of British Ceramia 

 will find it interesting enough to provoke criticism, no doubt, 

 and though there are " crowns to be broke " over such 

 matters, the contest needs an audience of specialists. The 

 two papers by Dr. Gran and the notes by Mr. Batters re- 

 present useful work, and it may not be out of place to urge 

 Mr. Batters onwards with that systematic account of the 

 British marine Algae whicK he is engaged upon, and so 

 many workers are waiting for. Such notes as he furnishes 

 in Grevillea only whet the appetite for the complete book. 



There have been very few "published sets" of Algae 

 (14) recently, but Mr. Holmes' fasciculi are always welcome 

 ■since they represent his industry in the study of the British 

 marine forms. Much the best of all published specimens of 

 Algae are Wittrock and Nordstedt's fresh-water sets, and no 



