208 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



of the thallus, and supplies a semi-sapro phytic mode of nutrition. The 

 antheridia! receptacle is sessile, and, with its four to eight growing- 

 points, each producing acropetal rows of antheridia, represents a branch- 

 system. The antheridia are usually solitary in each cavity, but sometimes 

 occur closely joined in pairs. The antherozoids are larger than in other 

 Marchantiaceaj, and are ejected explosively. The archegonial receptacle 

 also represents a branch-system ; each of the five to nine growing- 

 points produces a single archegonium. The stalk of the receptacle 

 suddenly lengthens out when the sporogonia are mature. The cover- 

 cell of the young archegonium splits into four and takes no part in the 

 growth in length of the archegonium. The young sporogonium usually 

 shows an octant-stage, and does not grow by means of an apical cell. 

 The large, green, thin-walled spores begin to germinate within the 

 capsule. The elaters are short and often branched. The capsule 

 dehisces by the separation of an apical disc, followed by longitudinal 

 splitting into four to eight valves. Fegatella occupies an intermediate 

 position between the two highest series of the Marchantiaceaa. The 

 process of fertilisation can be readily followed in Fegatella owing to the 

 large size of the antherozoids. A bibliography is supplied. 



British Hepaticae.* — P. Ewing gives a list of the hepaticae of the 

 Breadalbane mountains, 133 species. The determinations have been 

 made or checked by S. M. Macvicar. Fourteen are additions to the 

 British Flora, and twenty-two are new to the district. W. H. Pearson f 

 gives some field-notes upon eighteen hepatics gathered at Aysgill Force 

 and Hardraw Scour in Yorkshire. W. Ingham $ records the gathering 

 in 1897 of the recently described Martinellia calcicola Am. and Pers.,§ 

 intermixed with Ditriehum flexicaule and Trichostomum tortuosum, on 

 magnesian limestone at Tadcaster, Yorks. He translates the original 

 description of the plant. 



Census of Scottish Hepaticae. || — S. M. Macvicar is collecting 

 materials for a definitely localised hepatic flora of Scotland, and pub- 

 lishes a list of 205 species with their distribution according to counties, 

 so far as he has been able to ascertain it hitherto from a personal 

 examination of the specimens preserved in public and private herbaria. 

 He adds a few critical notes upon Eiccia, llarsiqiella, etc. 



Irish Hepaticae. IT — D. McArdle publishes a list of the Irish hepaticae, 

 containing 172 species and 63 varieties, with full records of their geo- 

 graphical distribution so far as it is known. The last previous trust- 

 worthy list was D. Moore's report published in 1876 ; it contained 

 137 species. The author gives a short account of the earlier Irish col- 

 lectors, of the physical features of the country, of the peculiarities of 

 the Irish hepatic flora, and a bibliography of the principal papers on 

 the subject. 



* Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist, 1903. pp. 235-43. 



t The Naturalist. 1903, pp. 403-4. 



j Kev. Bryol., 1904, pp. 11-12. § Op. cit., 1903, p. 97. 



|| Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1904, pp. 43-52. 



i Proc. Hoy. Irish Acad., xxiv. E. (1904) pp. 387-502. 



