212 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



differ as regards their geographical distribution absolutely from phanero- 

 gams and mosses, and follow more the lines of the lower organisms, 

 notably algae. For in contrast to the two higher groups named they 

 have hardly developed a single endemic mountain species since early 

 Tertiary times. Another point of interest is the markedly large number 

 of species common to Europe and N. America, and apparently to Asia. 

 The various regions are discussed and compared with the flora of similar 

 regions in other continents and islands ; and the results are given in 

 tabular form at the end. 



North American Hepaticae.* — A. W. Evans publishes notes on the 

 structure, life-history and distribution of Scalia Hookeri, Harfcmthus 

 Flotowianus, and Galypogeia fissa, which are recorded for the first time 

 from New England, and on the structure and systematic position of 

 Rkcia Frostii, whether or not it should be transferred to Ricdella. 



Indian Liverworts.t — S. R. Kashyap publishes an account of thirty- 

 one thalloid hepatics collected by him in the Western Himalayas from 

 Mussoorie to Kashtwar in 1912-14, Structural and systematic details 

 have already been published in vols, xiii, xiv of " The New Phytologist." 

 Among the novelties in the present paper are two new genera : — 

 1. Mindal pangiensis, named after Mindal temple in Pangie, where it 

 occurs commonly at an altitude of 8000 feet ; it has affinities with 

 Reboulia and Plagiochasma. (2) Sauchia spongiosa, named after Sauch 

 Pass, 10,000 feet, forms a connecting link between the Astroporeai of 

 Leitgeb and the Exormotheca line. Two new species of Fimbriaria, 

 one each of Grimaldia and Athalamia, and fiive of Riccia are 

 described. The author holds that his view as to the origin of the 

 Ricciete from a Targionia-like ancestor is confirmed by a comparative 

 study of these new species of Riccia. Cyathodium represents onS step 

 in the shifting of the archegonia to the dorsal surface. By a further 

 forward growth of the thallus in Riccia pathankotensis the archegonia 

 become shifted into a broad dorsal channel, and the involucre is sup- 

 pressed. The most reduced stage is represented by R. sanguinea, which 

 has no trace of a dorsal channel, and an absence of scales and tuberculate 

 rhizoids. But it is possible that Riccia has originated from two sources, 

 for the structure of the section Ricciella resembles that of Corsinia. 



The author % in completing his paper gives a list of fifteen more 

 species, among which is a new species of each of the following genera : 

 Fimbriaria, Plagiochasma, RieJla, Aneura, Metzgeria, Anthoceros. 



South African Hepatic8e.§ — T. R. Sim, while collecting materials 

 for a handbook of South African Bryophyta, gives a general introduc- 

 tory account of the macroscopic structure of the native hepaticai, and of 

 their ecology and reproduction, with a discussion of the questions of 

 variation and migration, and a history of 'South African hepaticology. 



* Rhodora, xix. (1917) pp. 263-72. 



t Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc, xxiv. (1916) pp. 343-50 (5 figs ). 



X Journ. Bombay Nat. Hift. Soc.xxv. (1917) pp. 279-81. 



§ South African Journ. Sci., xii. (1916) pp. 426-47. 



