56 



destitute of joints and branches ; their diameter is not more than 

 the eight or ten thousandth part of an inch. In various parts 

 of the baths I have found an Alga corresponding very much to 

 this description, although Cooke, in his recently published 

 manual of the " British Fresh Water Algae," discards this species 

 •with many others, remarking that " the species of Oscillaria are at 

 present distinguished by very artificial characters, which are by 

 no means permanent, in which respect the genus is not in a much 

 better condition than it was forty years ago." 



The observations I have up to the present been able to make 

 may be classed under three heads, according to locality, viz. : — 

 1. The Algae of the Roman Bath. 2. The Algae of the King's 

 Bath. 3. The vegetation of the Central Well. 



1. The Roman Bath. — The conditions under which Algae 

 grow here are very favourable ; the temperature of the water 

 which is just tepid, and the sheltered position, with exposure to 

 the sunlight, encourage luxuriance of growth to the utmost. 

 The consequence is that one species of Cladophora, viz., C. 

 insignis, has almost monopolised the bath, to the exclusion 

 of many other species. Professor Nordstedt, to whom a specimen 

 was sent, says that it is the finest species of Cladophora he has 

 seen, and rivals the tyj^ical specimens in his collection. Growing 

 upon the Cladophora are numerous diatoms, the principal of which 

 is Amphiprora paladosa. This is so abundant as to produce the 

 appearance of a white fringe on the Algae when seen in bright 

 sunlight. Mr. Grove says it is a remarkably fine specimen, as 

 large as his typical specimens from the shores of the Tay, and the 

 frustules look healthy and full of endochrome. Besides this are 

 found Surirella ovalis, Synedra tenera, Nitzschia amphioxys and 

 linearis, and a few other minute forms. The only other Alga I 

 have been able to find has occurred in small, darkish green patches 

 around the margins of the bath, and may possibly represent the 

 Oscillaria tenuissima already described. 



2. The King's Bath. — This, I believe, would prove a very 



