380 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



plankton investigation of Australian fresh-waters. The fact, too, that 

 the collections examined were made at short intervals over an extended 

 period of time, adds to the value of the report. In an introduction, the 

 author describes the reservoir and the drainage area, and gives informa- 

 tion concerning the spermato phytic and pteridophytic flora of the district. 

 This is followed by several chapters, of which the first three deal respec- 

 tively with the phytoplankton of the Yan Yean Reservoir, the littoral 

 alga-flora, and the general alga-flora of the drainage area. The algse of 

 the entire area, and the different parts of it, are then discussed in their 

 various relationships ; the more important and interesting species are 

 dealt with systematically ; and lastly, attention is drawn to the pecu- 

 liarities of the alga-flora of Australasian fresh-waters. In a general sum- 

 mary, the author states that the phytoplankton of the Yan Yean Reservoir 

 is rich both in number of species and individuals. It reaches its greatest 

 development in March and April, and is poorest in September and 

 October. The Flagellates are not numerous and the Mycophyceee 

 are remarkably few. Ceratium Hvrundinella is absent. It has a rich 

 desmid-flora containing "many characteristic Australasian types. In 

 respect of this great development of desmids it compares very well with 

 the lakes of western British lake-areas, and furnishes another instance 

 of a rich desmid-plankton occurring in a lake situated on the Older 

 Palaeozoic formations and receiving the drainage from extensive out- 

 crops of these old rocks. The microphytic benthos or littoral alga- 

 flora of the Yan Yean Reservoir was richer in species than the 

 phytoplankton, and it was found that many species common to the 

 plankton and the beuthos attain first a maximum in the plankton and 

 subsequently a maximum in the benthos. The phytoplankton is 

 partially recruited from the microphytic benthos, and it also consists 

 in part of well-established forms which are not recruited from the 

 shore-regions. The origin of some of the plankton species, even 

 dominant forms, is at present a mystery. Over 300 species of alga? 

 were observed from the entire Yan Yean drainage area. Of these, 

 14 species and 11 varieties are here described for the first time, and 

 4 species and 5 varieties, previously only partially described, are here 

 dealt with in greater detail, and for the first time figured. 



Fresh-water Algse of Connecticut.*— H. W. Conn and L. W, 

 Webster publish a preliminary report on the alga? of the fresh-waters 

 of Connecticut, consisting of descriptions and analytical keys, with 

 numerous figures. 



Carpogonium and Auxiliary Cell of Melobesiese.f — F. Heydrich 

 describes the process of fertilisation of some of the Melobesiete. He 

 finds that the sporogenous nucleus seeks out another cell, which then 

 becomes a spore, and this may take place in one of three ways. 1. The 

 sporogenous nucleus comes out of the carpogonium and enters into a 

 row of cells specially adapted before fertilisation for the purpose, 

 traverses this, and finally coalesces at the further margin with another 

 nucleus and becomes a spore. 2. The sporogenous nucleus goes straight 



* State Geol. and Nat. Hist. Survey, Bull. 10 (1908) 78 pp. (44 pis.), 

 t Ber. Deutscb. Bot. Gesell., xxvii. (1909) pp. 79-84 (1 pi.). 



