CONFERVA BIPUNCTATA. 



C. filamentis fimplicibus lutefcemibus lubricis, articulis brevibus cylin- 



dricis, bipunctatis. 



C. bipun&ata. Roth Cat. Bot. II. p. 204. 



C. ftellina. Muller in Nova A£te. Pet. III. 



In Pools and Ditches; about London and Yarmouth, frequent. 



THERE is reafon to believe that this fpecies, though not hitherto defcribed by 

 any Britifh author, is fufficiently common, particularly in the ftagnant pools on 

 heaths, either floating in thick manes on the furface, or loofe and ftraggling at 

 the bottom of the water. The firft fpecimens I received of it, gathered in Britain, 

 were from my friend D. Turner •, whofe fuccefs in his refearches into almofr. 

 every branch of Cryptogamia is too well known to need repetition here. Muller, 

 who defcribed and figured it as above quoted, feems to be the earlieft author 

 by whom it was noticed; though, from his work being incorporated in the tranf- 

 aclions of the Peterfburg fociety, the plant was but little known to botanifts till 

 publifhed by Dr. Roth as a new fpecies in the 2nd vol. of his Catale&a Botanies. 

 I have adopted the name afligned to it by the latter botanift, not only on the fcorc 

 of its fuperior excellence, but alfo, becaufe the appellation given to it by Muller 

 is apt to miflead ; being applicable only in a flate verging upon decay. The dots 

 then aflume a ftellated appearance, as fhown in the fhorter filament of the 

 figure A. in which the plant appears but flightly magnified. From C. fpiralis it 

 may generally be known by its larger fize, more yellow and lefs glofly hue ; from 

 C. genuflexa I believe always by the former of thefe circumftances, as well as 

 by its being deftitute of the broken appearance, which is a finking eharatteriftic 

 of that plant It is however difficult to diftinguifh thefe fpecies with certainty, 

 unaffifted by a micro fcope; though with its aid, this may be immediately re- 

 cognifed by the fhortnefs of its joints, and by their containing each two dark fpots, 



