Section IV., 1913. ' [57] Trans. R.S.C. 



The Diatoms of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. 

 By L. W. Bailey, LL.D. 



(Read May 28, 1913) 



So far as known to the writer very little study has as yet been given 

 to the Diatoms of any part of Canada. It is at least certain that, so 

 far as eastern Canada and the maritime Provinces are concerned, there 

 were, prior to the year 1910, exceedingly few published references to the 

 subject. Probably the earliest of these was a short list of species from 

 Halifax, N.S., given by the late Prof. J. W. Bailey in the Smithsonian 

 Contributions for 1853. Ten years later the writer published in the 

 Bulletin of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick a paper 

 on the Diatoms of the Kennebecasis River, N.B., giving a list of about 

 sixty species. In 1908 Dr. J. G. Baxter gave several short lists of 

 forms, observed by him in the vicinity of Chatham, N.B., and in 1897 

 Dr. A. H. Mackay published in the Proceedings of the Nova Scotia 

 Institute of Science a list of nearly one hundred species found in the 

 Infusorial earths or Tripolite deposits of that Province. Still later, in 

 1907, the same author published, in the "Contributions" of the Marine 

 Biological Stations of Canada, a list of about seventy species observed 

 by him at Canso, N.S.; but so far as New Brunswick was concerned no 

 advance beyond what is stated above was made until the year 1910. 

 About this time the Atlantic Biological station became permanently 

 located at St. Andrews, N.B., and having, in connection with his duties 

 there, become attracted by the opportunities offered for Diatom 

 collection, he was led to resume a study previously neglected for nearly 

 fifty years. The desirability and the results of the investigations thus 

 originated will be evident when it is stated that whereas, prior to 1910, 

 the total number of forms recorded from New Brunswick was not more 

 than seventy, the list of identified species is now between three and four 

 hundred. In view of these investigations having embraced the entire 

 sea-board of New Brunswick, together with that of Prince Edward 

 Island, while the results have been published only in the Bulletins of 

 the local Natural History Society, the writer has thought that it would 

 not be out of place to give to these results, in a condensed form, the 

 wider circulation afforded by the publications of the Royal Society, 

 and thus enlist the interest of others in this interesting subject. 



In the carrying on of his investigations, the writer has had, in 

 addition to the aid afforded by the Biological station and its staff, the 



