ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 577 



and 19 Cyanophycea;. Seven species are new records for Finland. A 

 new form, f. major of Spirogyra longata Kuetz. is described and figured. 



New England Desmids.* — J. A. Cushman gives a list of the species 

 of Desmids belonging to the sub-family Saccodermse, found in New 

 England. Twenty-seven species and varieties are recorded, of which 

 one species. Mesotamium minimum, and three varieties of other species, 

 are new. This list doubles the number previously known from that 

 region, but the author anticipates a further increase of records, when the 

 White Mountain region shall have been carefully worked. At the end 

 of the paper a key is given to the New England genera and species, 

 which, though based upon the species from that district actually seen by 

 the author, will, nevertheless, largely apply to the North-eastern United 

 States. 



Morphology and Biology of Chara delicatula f. bulbillifera 

 A. Braun.|— 0. Kuczewski publishes a dissertation on this subject 

 under the following headings : 1. Structure and development of the 

 shoots and leaves of Chara delicatula Ag.' and C. frag Ms Desvaux. 2. 

 Investigations into the vegetative reproduction of G. delicatula f. bul- 

 billifera. The first part of his paper is divided into (1) external 

 morphology ; (2) development of the main stem ; (3) lateral organs of 

 the main stem, in which the author deals with the leaves, cortication, 

 and stipules, axillary and accessory shoots. The second part of the 

 paper consists of a treatment of the bulbils of the stem and root, the 

 development of which is described and figured. Finally, the biological 

 signification of these bulbils is considered, and experiments in connec- 

 tion with their growth are described. 



North American Chare3B.| — 0. B. Robinson gives an account of 

 the Chareae of North America. He begins by describing the group as 

 a whole, their habit, method of reproduction, development from the ger- 

 minating oospore, the cortex of stem and leaves, etc. The author points 

 out that the great majority of plants, when thoroughly understood, 

 fall with perfect distinctness into a few well-marked groups, although 

 within these groups the differences may be very considerable and of 

 the most varied nature. The grouping defies all laws of geographical 

 distribution. The forms of many species are so well marked and con- 

 stant that some authors have been disposed to enlarge the number of 

 species. The aim in the present work has been to take a middle course, 

 as a wide view of species seems also untenable. A short history of 

 past work on Characeae is given, and the author points out the two views 

 as to their affinity which have been followed respectively by Engler and 

 Prantl, and Strasburger : the former regard them as the highest order 

 of Chlorophycese, related to Coleochcete, while the latter make them into 

 a separate sub-kingdom. A synopsis of the genera of Characeas is 

 followed by a key to the 50 North American species of Chara, the only 

 genus represented in that country. Each species is described in full, 

 and 15 are new. References are given to existing illustrations, and 



* Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxxiii. (1906) pp. 343-51. 



t Beih. Bot. Centralbl., xx.^1906) pp. 25-75 (2 pis., figs, in text). 



J Bull. New York Bot. Garden, iv. (1906) pp. 204-308. 



