Mr. H. 0. Stephens on two new Cryptogams. 515 



hides and bones from South America. It appeared to pervade 

 all the bones, and its red colour immediately attracted my 

 attention. 



Almost every fragment of bone was dotted with patches of 

 various sizes, of a cinnabar- or orange-red colour. 



When moistened, these became slightly turgid or elevated, 

 and rugose or papillate on the superior surface. Under a lens 

 of good power (a Jth was used), they are found to consist of 

 very numerous quadrangular cells, a little rounded at the angles, 

 united in fours, and these, again, grouped four together. They 

 are very minute, varying in magnitude from '0002 to '0003 

 linear. 



In a growing state I think they would be foimd enveloped in 

 mucilage, traces of which are even now discernible. 



I am inclined to suppose, that in the perfect condition of the 

 plant, the quaternate- celled bodies are arranged in a linear series 

 imbedded in the mucus of the pseudo-frond. In some of the 

 heaps I am pretty certain that traces of this structure were 

 observed, but too obscurely defined to admit of delineation. 



Mr. Berkeley has pointed out to me their resemblance to 

 Sarcina. In the form and quaternary arrangement of the cells 

 they are indeed very like the frustules of S. Ventriculi; but 

 these measure about •004? linear, and contain greenish -brown 

 endochrome, of which there is no trace in our plant. 



The cells are turned olive-brown by sulpho-iodine. Both 

 Mr. Berkeley and myself have failed in propagating this plant. 



The affinities appear to be with Palmellse, and the alliance 

 with Sarcina very close, — I believe the nearest ally to that 

 curious Alga yet known. Mixed with the bone Algoid are 

 globose bodies of much greater diameter than the four-celled 

 Sarcinoid bodies, accompanied by branched threads, which, on 

 first examination, I thought an integral part of the Alga. More 

 careful observations have, however, convinced me they are di- 

 stinct, and belong to a filamentous Fungus. 



The structure of this Fungus is highly curious : it seems to 

 emerge from the Alga in circular or radiating white spots, very 

 minute, but of various sizes. These are made up of branched 

 threads, bearing on their extremities, or on lateral branches, 

 round cells or spores. A vast number of these spore-like cells 

 are detached and free amongst the threads, the threads being 

 sparingly produced, or at least not abundantly, when compared 

 with the profusion of the spores. 



It is evident the globose cells must be formed in rapid suc- 

 cession from the points of the threads ; the process of formation 

 can, indeed, be partially seen ; for I observed the extremities of 

 some of the threads to be terminated by a thickened process, — - 



