about the size of a poppy-seed. Tetraspores unknown. Colour a full deep- 

 red, becoming much darker in dryinj^. The substance is firmly cartilagineo- 

 coriuceous, becoming hard and horny when dry. The frond very im- 

 perfectly adheres to paper in drying. 



To the genus Heringia, founded by Professor J. Agardh, 

 on a South African parasitic Alga, I have ventured to add two 

 Austrahan species of nearly similar organization and fruit, the 

 larger of which is here figured. Both appear to be of rare occur- 

 rence. For the only fruiting specimen of H.furcata seen by me 

 I am indebted to Mr. H. Watts, of Warnambool, who has kindly 

 furnished me with many of the rarer Algae of the coast in his 

 neighbourhood. 



Distinctly characterized as the present plant appears to be, 

 and nearly as it agrees with H. mirabilis in structure, I am not 

 altogether assured of its being a gejiuine production at all, but 

 (paradoxical as it may seem) possibly a divarication of Fhacelo- 

 carpus ! Such a parentage appears little likely to one who 

 merely looks at the ramification ; but there is something in the 

 structure of the stem and in the fruit which at least indicates 

 an affinity with Phacelocarpus ; and on one of my specimens I 

 detect two " sprigs " of Ph. Labillardieri springing from the 

 axils in different parts of the frond ; but whether springing 

 proliferously or parasitically it is impossible to say. I recom- 

 mend the point to the notice of observers in Australia. Should 

 my suspicions prove correct, the present would be one of the most 

 remarkable cases of iransformatmi on record. 



Fio". 1. Heringia furcata, — the natural size. 2. Apex of a fertile branch, 

 with conceptacles. 3. Longitudinal section of the frond. 4. Minute por- 

 tion of the periphery. 5. Cross section through a branch, and one of the 

 conceptacles. 6. Spore-strings: — magnljied. 



