338 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



the type species Eijlais extendens Mull., but with modern methods 

 of preparation and mounting so many differences were recognised 

 in various examples that the genus was now broken up into an 

 immense number. The chairman said Mr. Soar was to be con- 

 gratulated on having added two new species to our fauna, and 

 joined with others in discussion on the subject of the address. 



A paper by Mr. G. T. Harris, of Sidmouth, on " The Desmid 

 Flora of Dartmoor" was then read (in part) by the Hon. Secre- 

 tary. It began with a reference to previous records on the sub- 

 ject, and commented on their small number and the fewness of 

 the species which were attributed to the locality. Mr. Harris 

 then proceeded : " The section of Dartmoor dealt with in the 

 present paper is the great central portion comprised between 

 Cawsand Beacon on the northern extremity of the moor and 

 Believer Tor on the southern, with Metherall as its eastern 

 boundary and Lydford as its western. This area is roughly a 

 square of some one hundred and forty-four square miles, of un- 

 claimed more or less trackless moorland." In collecting over 

 this area it was divided into five districts for convenience. It 

 would have been impossible to enumerate tlie species of each 

 pool separately, so the plan of grouping the bogs and pools into 

 their respective districts was adopted. Collections were made 

 during July, August, September and October in 1915 and 1916. 

 The extent to which desmids are devoured by various aquatic 

 animals was noticed, and some remarkable instances recorded. 

 In one individual of a species of Euclanis no less than 

 twelve desmids were seen, and in another case a rotifer 

 had ingested seven. In the field each collection was kept 

 separate and duly labelled. Unimportant stations might yield 

 from seventy to eighty records, average-sized bogs 120 to 130. 

 while from more extensive and ancient bogs 230 species would 

 be recorded. Tables with the records of the various districts 

 were carefully kept, and, with plates illustrating a nuniber of the 

 more remarkable forms, will appear in the next number of the 

 Journal of the Club. Tlie nomenclature followed in tlie paper 

 is that adopted by W. and G. S. West in their monograph of the 

 British Desmidiaceae, as far as it is published. In closing, Mr. 

 Harris tendered his thanks to those who had assisted him in the 

 task of identification of his finds, most of whom arc members of 

 the Quckett Microscopical Club. There was some discussion 



