FRESHWATER ALGAH. 
By F. E. Fritscu, D.Sc, Pa.D., F.L.S., 
Professor of Botany, East London College (University of London). 
(3 Plates.) 
A. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
Unt recently our knowledge of the freshwater Algal flora of the Antarctic has been 
very deficient, but in the last decade the numerous expeditions that have undertaken 
the exploration of this region of the earth have brought back collections which are 
materially adding to the meagre earlier records. Apart from the few older 
contributions, which are cited in my paper on the Alow of the South Orkneys,* we 
have —all within the last ten years—-communications by De Wildeman} and 
Van Heurck{ on the Alge of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition; by Wille§ and 
Holmboe || on Algze collected by Borchgrevink at Cape Adare ; by the present writer * 
on the Alge of the South Orkneys, and by W. and G. 8. West] on the Algz 
collected by Sir E. Shackleton’s Expedition in the vicinity of Ross Island and South 
Victoria Land. Quite recently L. Gain ** has described two species of Nostoe from 
the Antarctic (‘fle Jenny’), and speaks of having recognised twenty species of 
Aloze (mainly Cyanophycese and Desmids) growing among mosses. 
The collections of the British National Antarctic Expedition were made in the 
vicinity of Cape Adare (lat. 71° 8.), and in the region around McMurdo Strait 
(lat. nearly 78° §.), ze. in a latitude appreciably farther south than that of the South 
Orkneys, and this may explain the rather different aspect of the flora in the two 
cases referred to below (cf. Table on p. 6). The two collections have relatively few 
* F. E. Fritsch, “ Freshwater Algi, coll. in the S. Orkneys by Mr. R. N. Rudmose Brown of the Scottish 
National Antarctic Expedition.” Journ. Linn. Soc., xl. (1912), pp. 293-338, Pls. 10 and 11. 
¢ E. de Wildeman, ‘‘ Note préliminaire sur les Algues rapportées par M. BE. Racovyitza, naturaliste de 
lexpédition antarctique belge.” Bull. Acad. Roy. Belg. 1900, pp. 558-569. 
{ Van Heurck, “ Diatomées”’ in “ Résultats du voyage du §.Y. ‘ Belgica’ en 1897-99." Antwerp (1909), 
pp. 1-128, Pls. I.-XIII. 
§ N. Wille, ‘ Mitteilungen iiber einige von C. E. Borchgrevink auf dem antarktischen Festlande gesammelte 
Pflanzen,” iii., ‘‘ Antarktische Algen.”” Nyt Mag. f. Naturvidenskab, xl. (1902), pp. 209-221, Tab. III., IV. 
|| J. Holmboe, iv., ‘ Nawvicula mutica Kiitz. aus dem antarktischen Festlande,” in N. Wille, ‘‘ Mitteilungen, 
ete.,”’ op. cit., pp. 221-222. 
 W. West and G. S. West, “Freshwater Alge,’’ in Reports on the Scientific Investigations, British 
Antarctic Expedition, 1907-9, vol. i., Part v., London (1911), pp. 263-298, Pls. XXIV.-XXVI. 
** L. Gain, ‘‘ Deux espéces nouvelles de Nostoc provenant de la région antarctique sudaméricaine.”’ Comptes 
Rendus Ac., Paris, clii. (1911), pp. 1691-1694. 
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