Notes on Micrasterias from southeastern Massachusetts 
JosEPH A, CUSHMAN 
During the spring and summer of 1903 a number of collections 
of desmid material were made in various localities of southeastern 
Massachusetts by the writer. Some of these were exceedingly 
rich in desmids. As no results of examinations of the desmid flora 
of this part of the state have ever been published except in a pre- 
vious short paper by the writer (Desmids of Bridgewater, Mass. 
Rhodora, 5: 79-81. Mr 1903) a comparison of the forms found 
in this area with those reported from other parts of New Eng- 
land may be instructive. The nomenclature as previously used 
in connection with New England species in many cases needs 
correcting, As many of the forms found are apparently new, they 
may best be presented by single genera or groups of genera to 
allow more ease in working them up. The New England desmid 
flora is as yet hardly touched upon, and what may be expected in 
the line of new forms may be seen by a single paper of Lager- 
heim’s on a collection from Tewksbury, Mass., where many new 
species and varieties were described. 
As one would expect from the characters of the genus taken 
up in the present paper—Micrasterias—it has been better worked 
up than many of the others. The species are of large size and 
usually very distinct — at least in those found in New England. 
One thing was apparent in looking over the data obtained — this 
genus appears to be almost wholly confined to ponds and lakes. 
Naturally, some are found in the streams, but, as far as can be 
noted from New England data, not of many species in a locality 
nor of many individuals. In the case of ponds and lakes the op- 
posite is usually true: there are many species present and usually 
an abundance of specimens. Of twenty-five collections represent- 
ing eleven localities, but four had Micrasterias represented by 
more than one species in any abundance. These were all from 
ponds or lakes. Mr. G. E. Stone, in his list of the desmids of 
Lake Quinsigamond, near Worcester, Mass., gives twenty-three 
