ARCHER, ON STEPHANOSPHERA PLUVIALIS. 117 
rence of which I can find hitherto but six localities, the 
present making a seventh. These are—Saltzburg, found by 
Werneck, Zambra, and Von Frantzius ; Hirschberg, in Silesia, 
by Von Flotow and Cohn; summit of Heuscheur, in Graf- 
schaft Glatz, Silesia, by Cohn; Lapland, by Wichura; 
Schneeberg, Saxony, by Rabenhorst; Scotland, by Strethill 
Wright; and now, lastly, at Bray Head, Ireland, by myself. 
It is very probably more common than these few localities 
might indicate, but these are at least allthe records I can 
find. 
As may be imagined, with no small amount of avidity I 
pocketed a supply of the treasure thus placed at my feet. The 
specimens so obtained afforded an opportunity in a great 
measure to follow out the statements made in Cohn’s 
beautiful memoir,* with respect to the organization and 
development of this plant, such asthe macro- and microgo- 
nidia, &e. As regards the latter, nothing further presented 
itself as to the purport or function of the bodies so called; 
like Cohn’s own original specimens, they were formed and 
disappeared. 
This gathering was extremely free from other organisms. 
Chlamydococcus pluvialis did not present itself, thus, in that 
respect, unlike Cohn’s original supply. A very few specimens, 
however, of Gonium pectorale occurred, but in so trifling num- 
bers that for a fortnight after I had obtained the material 
I do not believe I noticed half a dozen individuals, while the 
Stephanosphera existed in myriads. The only examples of 
animal life to be noticed were a very few lively specimens of 
a noble rotiferon, a Brachionus. 
However, before drawing attention to the peculiar condi- 
tion alluded to, a very brief description of the organism in 
question may not be out of place ; indeed, such would perhaps 
be of advantage, if not essential (in the absence ofa previous 
study of Professor Cohn’s extended memoirs), to the apprecia- 
tion of the confessedly imperfect observation which it is the 
object of this paper to communicate, and which, indeed, is the 
only new one I have to note that has not been recorded by 
Cohn; and in doing so I shall not enter into minute details 
beyond those which bear directly on the subject of this 
note. 
* Cohn, “ Ueber eine neue Gattung aus der Familie der Volvocinen,” in 
Siebold und Kolliker’s ‘Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie,’ Band 
iv (1852), p. 77, tab. vi; also ‘Annals of Nat. Hist.,’ 2nd ser., vol. x, pp. 
321 et seg., 401 e¢ seq., pl. vi; also Cohn and Wichura, ‘ Ueber Stephano- 
sphera,’ Kais. Leop.-Car. Akademie der Naturforscher ; Bonn, 1857. Of 
the latter memoir there is a short abstract in the ‘Quart. Journ. of Micro- 
scopical Science,’ Vol. VI, p. 181. 
