IXTRODICTIOX 21 



the hosts and their growth in sheltered, more or less polluted habitat 

 The latter point is most certainly true, for in this writer's experience 

 marine Phycomycetes are most often encountered in algae from dis- 

 tinctly polluted waters. 



Geographic Distribution 



From the knowledge now available, it is apparent that members of 

 the lower Phycomycetes are world-wide in ge gi phk distribution. A 

 comparison of the floras of western Europe and extern North Americ 

 the regions in which these fungi have received most attention, reveals 

 no proven striking cases of endemism. Scattered accounts from more 

 remote localities, as Austi Pacific and the arctic, « . ifinn 



their ubiquity. 



Information concerning geographic distribution was greatrj sre - 

 by Emerson"s (1941) work on A - \ srtner's -1954b) 



extensive investigal - • s from Africa, Sweden, and Spitsberge 

 Trie latter investigator's 2 • " soil samples from Eg) pt, North \frica, V. . 

 Africa. Equatorial East Africa, and Sout . and South Afric ; . - 

 ed over sixty different forms. Members legenera Rkizophydhan, Pyth- 

 ium. Rhizophlyctis, Phlyctochytrium. and Olpidium were most abund. 



Harder 1 1 1954) extended his studies to embrace the distribution of 

 forms in arctic regions. Other than this there are onb frag - tary 

 reports of the existence of Phyconr ... ' rtherly latitude 



notably those given in Linder 1 194") and Gaertner I 19541 1 and ir 

 earlier studie> of Petersen 1905 H tdei 3xano . sty- 



eight soil samples from Sv, edish L - :. - : rth of the Arctic 



Circle, arid ?ix from Spitsbergen. In L. - id, in natural soils in the 

 alpine zone 1 650— 1412 m.i o srent species were rec . 



whereas in the birch zone .- . six were found. Sam - . :om 



Spitsbergen yielded but two d . species rhese re ts 3d Hardei 

 to observe that as 3 progresses rtl rom the Ec tor 1 the 



North Pole the number Fgenei • - as tt - > 



currence of their respect - >ecies, appears tc tec le. 



COLLECTI 



The supposed rai 3 aquatic .... appears 



1 See also Hard;- and Ga ■ - - . - robiol., 32 



