ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 71 



Mosses of Antarctic America.* — P. Dusen publishes the fifth part 

 of his contributions to the bryology of the Magellan region, West 

 Patagonia, and South Chili. It contains records of 34 species, 13 of 

 which are described for the first time, some by Dusen and some by 

 Brotherus. One change of name is announced, from Grimmia pachy- 

 phylla Dus. to G. Dirksouii Dus. Sis plates and two text-figures show 

 the points of the new species. 



Portuguese Species of Fissidens.f — A. Luisier publishes a note 

 upon some Portuguese species of Fissidens. He describes a new variety 

 of F. serrulatus called Henriquesii. F. Wehoitschii he considers to be 

 only a variety of F. polypkyllus. According to Bottinithe latter species 

 is a variety of F. serrulatus, and F. Welwitschii a mere form of the 

 same. F. polypkyllus var. Newtoui, another Portuguese moss, is 

 described in Husnot's Muscoloffia Gallica. 



'b J 



Genus Ephemerum.J — C. Douin has made a study of Ephemerum 

 stellatum, and is able to correct and complete the published descriptions 

 of the plant. He gives numerous figures showing the development of 

 the spores, the sterile and fertile plants under different aspects, the 

 leaves, capsule, calyptra, etc. He also provides a key to the European 

 species of the genus. 



Two Species of Sphaerocarpus found in France.§ — C. Douin dis- 

 cusses in detail the species of Splmroearpus found in France. A close 

 study of much material has shown him that two species, distinguishable 

 only by their spores, occur in France — S. terrestris and S. calif omicus . 

 He describes carefully the development of the spores and shows how the 

 mature tetrads differ in the two species. The 8. terrestris described by 

 Boulay in his Hepatiques, p. 178, is most probably S. califortvicus, 

 which appears to be more common in France than the true S. terrestris. 

 The spores in both species remain permanently united in tetrads. They 

 are larger, yellowish, more loosely reticulated, cristate, not spinose, in 

 S. californicus ; whereas in S. terrestris they are smaller, obscure, black, 

 of much smaller more numerous meshes, with crests very black and 

 bearing numerous sharp black spines. 



Variable Peristome of Philonotis.|| — G. Dismier discusses the 

 specific value of the interlamellar thickenings of the peristome-teeth in 

 the species of the genus Philonotis. He shows how several recent authors 

 have employed these structures as diagnostic characters, and gives the 

 results of his own observations, that the presence or absence of these 

 structures is unstable and is of no value in the discrimination of species, 

 and that their degree of development varies much from one specimen to 

 another. P. media Bryhn is but P. Macouni (= P. Ryani) with the 

 interlamellar protuberances absent. P. rividaris Warnst. is the same 

 as P. marchica, but has the protuberances inconspicuously developed. 



* Arkiv Botanik., vi. (1907) 32 pp. 6 plates, figs, in text. 



t Bull. Soc. Portugaise Sci. Nat. Lisboune, i. (1907) pp. 15-21 (9 figs.>. 



X Bull. Soc. Bot. France, 1907, pp. 242-51, 30G-26 (80 figs.). 



§ Rev. Brvolog., xxxiv. (1907) pp. 105-12 (figs.). 



|| Tom. cit., pp. 112-14. 



