ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 337 



in the general shape of the thallus, and the form of the chloroplast as 

 a parietal plate. It differs, however, from that genus in having no 

 encrustation of lime — indeed, the natural substratum is a siliceous one. 

 The zoospores also are not formed in terminal and swollen zoosporangia, 

 as in the GTongrosireae. The author describes and figures his apparatus 

 for cultivation of the alga, and gives an account of the life-history 

 which he was able to watch in every detail. Neither the formal 

 diagnosis nor the name is given to this new alga. Its chief charac- 

 teristics are as follows : It is silicicolous in habit and grows in running 

 water of low temperature, forming an irregularly-branched, star-shaped 

 or circular thallus, the cells of which are longer than broad, containing 

 a parietal chloroplast and no pyrenoids. By continuous division, be- 

 ginning always at the centre of the thallus, the cells break up into 

 zoosporangia, from which issue four zoospores. The thallus may pass 

 into a palmelloid condition, and in this condition the cells divide at 

 once to form (a) zoospores, or (b) daughter-cells which repeat the 

 process. The zoospores are bi-ciliate and pear-shaped, with basin- 

 shaped chloroplasts, red eye-spot and colourless anterior portion. They 

 germinate, without any period of rest, to form a new plant. No sexual 

 stage is known. It is subject to attack by a Chytridiaceous fungus. 



German Fresh-water Algae.* — A. A. Pascher gives a list of the 

 algae from the forest-land of South Bohemia. This first part of his 

 work includes the Florideae, Phasophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Schizo- 

 phycefe. Diatoms and plankton will follow later. The number of 

 species determined is 476, of which 54 are new to Bohemia. The 

 localities are carefully recorded and critical remarks are often appended. 



M. Schmidt t publishes a dissertation on the algal flora of the Lime- 

 berg heath, which does not claim to enumerate all* the species, but is 

 nevertheless a useful addition to the botanical flora of the district. 

 Seventeen new species, forms and varieties are described ; and remarks 

 are made on topographical distribution, on the morphology and biology 

 of Desmidiaceaj, and on the system of the Conjugate. Plates of 

 desmids are siven. 



&* 



Algse of the Gulf of Spezia.J — A. Preda proposes to publish a list 

 of the marine algas of this gulf from Capo Corvo to Portovenere, in- 

 cluding the records of past collectors as well as those of his own 

 gathering. He divides the area into four zones of depth, defining the 

 limits of each. The names of the few botanists are given who have 

 worked at the algae of this district, with the titles of their works. The 

 present paper deals only with the Florideae, of which 73 species are 

 recorded. Topographical notes are added to each record. 



Bahaman Algse.§ — M. A. Howe describes a new species of Neomeris, 

 N. Cofceri, from Eleuthera, as well as a new variety, var. laxus, of 

 Coccortadas occidental is from Nassau. Seven other species of algae are 

 recorded, which are either rare or of special interest, and critical notes 



* SB. Deutsch. Nat.-wiss.-med. Ver. Bbbmen. " Lotos," xxiii. (1903) pp. 161-211. 

 t Grundlagene. Algenflorad. Liinebergen Heide, Hildesheim, 1903, 98 pp., 2 pis. 

 % Malphigia, xviii. (1903) pp. 76-93. 

 § Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxxi. (1904) pp. 93-100 (1 pi.). 



