REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 



The algae of Illinois have received the attention of but few workers 

 whose interest has been primarily in taxonomic treatment of the 

 group. However, among the 94 papers including information on 

 Illinois algae, there are a few from some of the most active algologists 

 in this country to whom we owe the greater part of our knowledge 

 of algae in this State. A large proportion of the papers are fish and 

 pollution studies dealing only secondarily with the algae and often 

 listing only genera. Many of the papers are duplications and sum- 

 maries, or are monographic in nature, the records reported being 

 taken from previous publications and representing no new collections, 

 identifications or new records of distribution in the State. 



The literature has been divided for the purpose of discussion into 

 five groups based on the types of investigations involved. First to 

 be considered are those papers which contribute mainly to the ex- 

 tension of knowledge of the floristics, taxonomy and distribution of 

 algae within the State. Second are those papers, mainly ecological 

 in content, which deal primarily or secondarily with the algae. In- 

 cluded in this group are those papers dealing with pollution stud- 

 ies. Third are those papers considering food relations of animals; 

 fourth, monographs and other comprehensive studies of the algae, 

 not limited to but mentioning Illinois algae; and fifth, miscellaneous 

 papers only indirectly concerned with the algae. This classification 

 is somewhat arbitrary, since, in a sense, all the papers are taxonomic 

 studies, and, further, many papers have ecological aspects («.e., fish- 

 food studies), despite the fact that they are not here classified as 

 such. However, this segregation of papers is one of convenience, and 

 will serve to indicate the types of research conducted that involve 

 Illinois algae. 



Taxonomic and Floristic Studies 



Of the total of 94 papers known to the writer, 40 may be con- 

 sidered as taxonomic contributions dealing directly either with the 

 identification and distribution of Illinois algae, or with the descrip- 

 tion of new genera and species whose type localities are within the 

 State. Of these 40 papers, 12 are studies of the inshore areas of Lake 

 Michigan, principally at Chicago and Evanston (Ahlstrom 1936; 

 Atwell 1889; Babcock 1872B; Briggs 1872A, B, C; Forbes 1883A; 

 Jelliffe 1893; Skvortzow 1937; Smith 1878; Stimson 1870; Thomas & 

 Chase 1887). 



The most extensive of these papers is that of Thomas & Chase, 

 who reported a total of 211 species and varieties of diatoms distrib- 



