Mr. H assail on the Branched Freshwater Conferva. 363 



3rd sp. Cells usually once and a half as long as broad ; re- 

 productive bodies placed within the bulbs of the setae, which 

 become much enlarged for their accommodation. 

 4th sp. Filaments very minute ; cells usually four or five times 

 as long as broad. 



The filaments in this are not one-third so large as those of 

 the preceding species. 



Secondly, into the three well-known and intimately allied 

 genera Batrachiospermum, Draparnaldia and Chcetophora, 

 which resemble in their mode of growth as well as in their 

 reproduction the branched Confervae of the following genus. 

 Thirdly, into the genus Microspora. 



Nov. gen. Microspora. 

 Char. Frond attached, branched, filaments tapering and of 

 various diameter according to their age ; reproduction con- 

 sisting of minute vesicles, several of which are placed in 

 each inflated cell. 



This important genus contains the following species, Con- 

 ferva glomerata, C. crispata, C. flavescens, C. agagropila, C. 

 Brownii, and most probably the majority of the marine 

 branched Confervae usually associated with the genus Con- 

 ferva, as well as many of the unbranched marine species. 



I have omitted enumerating Conferva fracta and C. nigri- 

 cans as belonging to this genus, for I regard the first, as al- 

 ready stated, to be Conferva crispata in a state of reproduc- 

 tion ; and the latter I strongly suspect to be some aquatic 

 production, probably a Chara in a state of decay, of which I 

 found a considerable quantity on a recent visit to Wimbledon 

 Common, the locality from which Mr. Dixon [Dickson?] 

 obtained his specimens, presenting much the appearance of a 

 Conferva. 



Fourthly and. fifthly, into two genera characterized as be- 

 low, but which I shall leave for the present unnamed. 



1st genus. Filaments very sparingly branched, slightly con- 

 tracted at the joints ; endochrome rarely filling the cells. 

 There is but one species which I am at present able to refer 

 to this genus, the Conferva ericetorum of Roth, a plant which, 

 in common with some other observers, I was long inclined to 

 regard as a Conjugata and a member of the genus Mougeotia ; 

 however, the occasional presence of short branchlets seems 

 inconsistent with this opinion. 



2nd gen. Filaments nearly equal, dichotomously branched ; 

 endochrome contained in a small tube which passes through 

 the cells in a waved manner. 



2B 2 



