TRANSACTIONS. 



Report on Slides of Diatomace^, mounted by E. Samuels, 

 for Boston (U. S.) Society op Natural History^ and 

 presented to the Microscopical Society of London. By 

 Charles Stodder. 



(Read October lOtb, 1860.) 



The diatoms of our coast have been but little studied. 

 These specimens will, on that account alone, possess consider- 

 able interest, though they have only been glanced at, for want 

 of time. Those from Quincy appear most promising. The 

 Milton slide contains almost entirely what Mr. Samuels con- 

 siders a new Himantidium. The Bangor and Bemis Lake 

 deposits are similar to other " sub-peat " deposits found all 

 over New England, and described by Ehrenburg and Bailey. 

 These have not been fully studied as yet. 



The diatoms from the intestines of Holothurians and Echini 

 are of great interest. They were taken from animals col- 

 lected for our members, Mr. Jas. M. Barnard and Professor 

 L. Agassiz. Some of the slides, prepared and mounted by 

 Mr. Samuels, coming into my possession last spring, I 

 noticed that they were very rich in genera and species, and 

 that many appeared to be new. I sent specimens to our 

 corresponding member, Mr. A. M. Edwards, of New York, 

 who has paid much attention to this department of science 

 for several years. His interest was excited by the specimens, 

 and a larger quantity of the material was procured from 

 Mr. Samuels, and also some directly from Mr. Barnard, 

 and cleaned by Mr. Edwards, which, although but partially 

 investigated as yet, has yielded a rich harvest of new forms, 

 as well as many but recently published in Europe, together 

 with a great number of old and well-known species. 



The discovery of this source of supply of diatoms will 

 yield important scientific results. "We obtain specimens from 

 localities otherwise all but inaccessible to the microscopist. 

 We have ascertained that a great many species are common 



VOL. I. — NEW SER. C 



