14 Vol. XLIII., Art. 1.— K. Yendo 



of Alaria. Describcrs of Alar la must be cautioned not to put much 

 stress upon the shape of the blade as a specific character unless a 

 number of matured forms from different habitats have been considered. 



In Alaria, the wearing away of the upper portion of the blade 

 is comparatively quicker than in other genera. In the matured 

 form with fully developed sporophylls the upper half of the blade 

 is in most cases already decayed. The general outline or the 

 entire length of a blade is therefore frequently difficult to ascertain 

 The statement on these points can be conventional and must never 

 be regarded as of equal importance and exactness with that of 

 other characters. 



Certain species are defined as having thin and soft blades, as 

 if the character were peculiar to the species. Not a few sterile 

 specimens of Alaria which I have seen in various herbaria kept 

 under A. Fylail Geev. showed no impoi'tant systematic character 

 to justify the determination, except that the blades wore thin and 

 soft. There is no need to mention that the blade of a young in- 

 dividual of a Laminariaceous species has a thinner and softer sub- 

 stance. The inl abitants in quiet bays, especially where the salinity 

 of the water is below the normal, may have the blade thin and 

 soft during its whole life. 



The term membranaceous, papyraceous, coriaceous, etc., are 

 generally applied by systematists in qualifying the context of 

 foliose fronds of various algae. In the specific distinction of Alaria 

 these terms are also applied. Even in the adult forms and those 

 of similar habitat, the apparent context of the blade in a herbarium 

 specimen varies greatly according to the mode of preparation. The 

 specimens mounted directly from a living specimen, whether soak- 

 ed in freshwater or not, generally remain much thicker than those 

 which have been first dried in the air and after ward-i soaked in 



