1925] SetcheU-Gardner: Melanspliyceae 557 



Growing on rocks in the lower littoral and upper sublittoral belts, 

 or in tide pools higher up. The present known range is from Sitka, 

 Alaska, to San Diego, California. 



Kuckuck, loc. cit. Mesogloia Andersonii Farlow, New Alg. U. S., 

 1889, p. 9, pi. 87, fig. 2 ; Setchell and Gardner, Alg. N.W. Amer., 1903, 

 p. 250 ; Farlow, Anderson and Eaton, Alg. Exsicc. Amer.-Bor., no. 

 163; Collins, Holden and Setchell, Phyc. Bor.-Amer. (Exsicc), no. 

 925. Chordaria flageUiformis Tilden, Amer. Alg. ( Exsicc. ) , no. 349. 



Much variation in the size of plants of MyriogJ&ia Andersonii has 

 been noted in collections from different localities. Tilden 's plant 

 (loc. cit.) is only about seven centimeters long and quite slender. No. 

 163 of Farlow, Anderson and Eaton (loc. cit.) is a young plant with 

 abundance of hair filaments and is about twenty-five centimeters long. 

 No. 925 of Collins, Holden and Setchell (loc. cit.) is an older plant, 

 more robust throughout, about twenty centimeters long. Plants from 

 Point Arena, California, in the Herbarium of the University of Cali- 

 fornia, measure about fifty centimeters long. Likewise variations in 

 the size of the mature zoosporangia are very noticeable, some collec- 

 tions having them twice as long as those in others. The specimens 

 distributed by Farlow, no. 163, 1881, are entirely clothed with brown 

 exserted filaments. Farlow, however, in his description (1889, p. 9) 

 states that it was supposed that all the specimens distributed were 

 fertile and speaking of projecting filaments says : "In my specimens 

 preserved in alcohol, they are not to be seen." We have been able 

 to examine the alcoholic specimens referred to and find some, 

 although scanty, exserted filaments. We find specimens of all condi- 

 tions from being densely clothed with hairs to those with very few, 

 but none in which they are entirely absent. We have tried to find out 

 whether these various forms may be separated by any other characters 

 than frequence or scarcity of exserted filaments, but can find none 

 applying satisfactorily. We have, therefore, placed all of our Pacific 

 coast material under the one species. Judging from what Oltmanns 

 states from the imperfect notes in his possession, Kuckuck has two 

 entities from the Mesogloia Andersonii Farlow, viz., MyriogJoia Ander- 

 sonii, as stated above, and CJiordarva Andersonii (cf. Oltmanns, 1922, 

 pp. 20 and 23, fig. 313, 4). Of the latter, we have no further knowl- 

 edge, although Oltmanns says "Chordaria Andersonii Kuckuck mscr. 

 {Mesogloia Andersonii Farlow) . ' ' There is nothing in Farlow 's mate- 

 rial, either dried or in alcohol, which corresponds in methods of growth 

 to Kuckuck 's figure. 



