Palaeontologie. — Algae. 499 



par l'etude microscopique, d'etablir les relations qui existent entre 

 la qualite du charbon et les conditions de gisement. 



Henri Micheels. 



Anonymus. The Seaweed Industry of Japan. (Bulletin of the 

 Imperial Institute. Vol. IV. N"^». 2. p. 125—149. 1906.) 



This paper contains the report prepared at the request ol' the 

 Foreign Office in London by Mr. C. J. Davidson on the Japanese 

 Seaweed Industry. It deals with the subject very fully, giving details 

 as to the uses to which algae are put, the manner of collection and 

 preparation etc. as well as the total amount and value of the material 

 prepared in a certain time. The author states that more than öl 

 species from the Japan coasts are employed for useful purposes and 

 their collection and subsequent treatment form one of the most 

 prominent industries of the Japanese Empire. They are used as 

 food, plaster and glue, starch and even as manure for the ricefields; 

 isinglass is also prepared, and iodine extracted, from certain species. 

 The preparations specially dealt with in this report are Kanten 

 (Isinglass), Kombu (Kelp), Amanori (Laver), Funori (Seaweed glue), 

 and Iodine. 



Kanten is prepared chiefly from species of Gelidimn , principally 

 G. Amansii, called in Japanese "Tengusa"; other species emplo5'^ed 

 as Substitutes or added to Tengusa are Campylaephora hypneoides^ 

 Acanth&peltis japonica, and Gracilaria confervoides. A detailed 

 description is given of the method of preparation etc. In the East 

 it is used in many ways for edible purposes; and in Europe and 

 America it serves as a cultivating medium for bacteria, for which 

 from its puritj'- it is particularly well suited. 



The various preparations of Kombu are made from Laminavia 

 longissUna, L. japonica, L. angustata, L. ochoteusis, L. veligiosa , L. 

 gyrata, L. diaholica , and Arthrothaninus bißdiis. 



Asakusa-nori or Amanori is Porphyra tenella and its export 

 exceeds 10,000 yen in value. 



The species from which Funori is formed are: Gloiopeltis colli- 

 forntis, G. tenax , Grateloiipia filicina, Chondrus elatits, and other 

 species of Grateloiipia , Gyninogongrus , etc. 



The extraction of iodine from algae has been carried on in 

 Japan on a small scale for years and the species chiefly used in 

 this industry are Laminaria, Ecklonia cava, E. bicycUs, Sargassiiin 

 Horneri, and 5. pateiis. 



Other algae used for edible purposes are: Alaria crassifolia, 

 Undaria pinnatifida , Laminaria radicosa, Mesogloia decipiens, M. 

 crassa, Chordaria ahietina, Cystophylluni fusifornie , Endarachne Bing- 

 haniiae, Gracilaria confervoides, G. compressa, Grateloiipia afßnis , 

 Gelidimn suhcostatiim , G. Amansii, Nemalion luhricum, Ceramiiim 

 Boydenii, Sarcodia Montagneana , Campylaephora hypneoides, Acan- 

 thopeltis japonica , Gelidium japonicum , Codiiim elongatiim, C. miicro- 

 natuni, C. latiim, Ulva pertiisa and Enteromorpha compressa. 



It is suggested that similar industries might be encouraged in 

 other countries besides Japan. E. S. Gepp. 



