ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 325 



quality of this food depends upon the conditions of its place of growth 

 and upon the albuminous constituents. Superior samples come from 

 waters that are rich in matters nutritious to algas — for instance, where 

 fields border the main current of a river. Such samples contain more 

 nitrogen (of various forms), carbohydrate and fat, and less fibre, and 

 command a higher price in the market. A. Gr. 



Iodine in Marine Algae. — Y. Okuda and P. Eto (Journ. Coll. 

 Agric. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 1916, 5, 341-353. See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 1917, 135, 251-252). An investigation of the form in which iodine 

 occurs ill certain species of EcMonia, Turbinaria, Sargassum. In living 

 alga? most of the iodine is in organic combination (not a protein) which 

 is soluble in water, strong alcohol, dilute alkali and acid solutions. 

 But in " Dashikombu " (a Laminaria product) most of the iodine is 

 inorganic. In Ecklonia hicyclis the organic iodine is gradually disinte- 

 grated by micro-organisms. Dilute solutions of NaCl, CaCl, and HCl 

 have a strong effect on the decomposition of the organic iodine. Old 

 algffi contain more iodine than die young. Algte of the open sea 

 contain more than those of the inland sea. From dead algse the iodine 

 readily diffuses in salt or fresh water ; hence drifted alg^e are not a 

 profitable source of iodine. A. Gr. 



Marine Algae of Cuba. — Marshall A. Howe {Smithsonian 3fisceU. 

 Collections, Washington, 1918, 68, No. 11, 13 pp., fig.). An account of 

 the marine algse collected by J. B. Henderson and P. Bartsch during 

 the cruise of the " Tomas Barrera " on the west coast of Cuba in 

 1914, comprising sixty-five species, one of which is new {Phormidium 

 Hendersonii), and one (Sarcomenia filamentosa) had been but once 

 collected (in Florida). The only previous lists of Cuban marine algse 

 were one by Montague in Ramon de la Sagra's " Histoire . . . de Tile 

 de Cuba," 1842, with fifty-two species ; and one by Farlow in Amer. 

 Naturalist, 1871, 5, 201-9, with forty-six species. The present list adds 

 thirty-seven species and a variety to the flora. A. G-. 



Fungi. 

 (By A. LoREAiN Smith, F.L.S.) 



North American Peronosporales. — G. W. Wilson (Jlfyco%/«, 1918, 

 10, 168-9). An account of three species of Peronosporales, one of 

 them, Rysotheca {Flasmopora) Acalyphae, being new to science. 



A. L. S. 



Development of Phytophthora. — J. Eriksson {Rev. Gen6r. de Bot., 

 1917, 20, 257 et seq.) In a series of papers J. Eriksson has discussed 

 the problem of the overwintering and recurrence of potato disease. He 

 gives an account of all the research undertaken and the theories held. 

 He himself inclines to regard the " sclerotiets " of Wilson as of im- 

 portance, and with these proposes his theory of my(;oplasm. The 

 discussion is still unfinished. A. L. S. 



Parasites on' Meliola. — F. L. Stevens {Bot. Gazette, 1918, 65 

 227-49, 2 pis., 5 figs.) has detected a very large number of these, and 



