BATRACHOSPERMUM. [ 94 ] 



BEANIA. 



branches. Braun has found specimens of 

 B. c&rulescens and B. Suevorum destitute of 

 the glomerules of spores, but with smaller 

 hyaline (Antheridial) cells at the ends of 

 the branches, as in NEMALEON. 



According to Bornet and Thuret, tricho- 

 gynes exist. These consist of a basal cell 

 (ultimately the cystocarp), communicating 

 by a narrow neck with the upper portion, 

 which is not capillary, but expands into an 

 oval cell, to which the antheridia adhere. 

 These are single, rounded cells, arising 

 from the summit of certain peripheral 

 elongated branches ; each producing a single 

 spermatozoid. 



The specimens frequently change colour 

 when dried upon paper, becoming usually 

 much darker. Bory St. Vincent carefully 

 examined the distinctive characters of this 

 genus ; and he is followed by Hassall, who, 

 however, erects several of his varieties into 

 species. The following forms are given 

 under Kiitzing's arrangement: 



B. moniliforme, Roth. Vaguely and 

 greatly branched, colour various (purple, vio- 

 let, green, seruginous, fuscescent, or nigres- 

 cent); whorls or nodes moniliform, distinct, 

 globose, those of the branches confluent. 

 Dillwyn, Tab. ii. ; Kiitz. Tab. Phyc. iii. pi. 

 22. HassaU's pulcherrimum, stagnate, and 

 rubrum are considered to be varieties of 

 this. 



B. giganteum, Desv. Very large, purple 

 when dry, axes clothed with very long, bi- 

 furcated branches. Kiitz. Tab. Phyc. iii. 

 pi. 23. B. confusum, Hass. 



B. affine, Kiitz. Tab. Phyc. iii. pi. 24. 



B. caerulescens, Bory. ^Eruginous, slen- 

 der, very much branched, branches flagelli- 

 form, equal, slender, slightly thickened at 

 the tips, whorls of the lower and upper 

 branches confluent, those of the interme- 

 diate distinct, contiguous, depressed. Kiitz. 

 Tab. Phyc. iii. pi. 24. 



B. vagum, Ag. ^Eruginous, dichoto- 

 mously branched, equally thick throughout, 

 whorls all confluent. Kiitz. Tab. Phyc. iii. 

 pi. 25 ; var. tenuissimum = Conf. atra, Eng. 

 Bot. pi. 690. 



Rabenhorst admits two species, B. moni- 

 liforme, with nine, and B. vagum, with five 

 varieties. 



BIBL. Bory St. Vincent, Ann. d. Mvseum, 

 xii. pi. 22, 29; Hassall, Alga, p. 101, and 

 pis. 13-16 and 63 ; Decaisne, Ann. d. Sc. Nat. 

 2 s6r. xvii. p. 340, pi. 15, i. ; Braun, Ver- 

 jimgung, p. 160 ( Ray Soc. 1853, p. 150) ; 

 Alg. Unicell. Appendix, p. 105; Kiitzing, 



Sp. Alg. p. 535, Tab. Phyc. iii. ; Rabenhorst, 

 Fl. Alg. iii. p. 404; Bornet and Thuret, Ann. 

 d. Sc. N. 1867. vii. p. 144 j Sachs. Bot. 1874. 

 293 



BDELLA, Latr. (Scirus). A genus of 

 Arachnida, of the order Acarina, and family 

 Bdellea. 



Char. Those of the family (see Arach- 

 nida). Species numerous. 



B. longicornis (vulgaris) (PI. 6. fig. 31 a, 

 b, mandible). Scarlet ; rostrum longer than 

 the front segment of the body ; eyes 4 ; 

 length 1-24". 



B. ccerulipes (PI. 6. fig. 31 c, mandible). 

 Rostrum tolerably short and stout ; mandi- 

 bles thick and obtuse ; eyes 4 j body red- 

 dish ; legs blue. 



B. elaphus (PI. 6. fig. 44). Rostrum in- 

 flated at base ; carmine-red, with iridescent 

 shades ; eyes 2, blackish ; a long bristle on 

 each side. 



Other species. 



BIBL. Gervais, Walckenaer's Apt. p. 154; 

 Koch, Deutschl. Ci'ust. $c. ; Duges, Ann. d. 

 Sc. Nat. i. 21 ; Murray, Econ. Entom. 144. 



BDELLEA. A family of Arachnida, of 

 the order Acarina. 



The members are minute, more or less 

 soft, variously coloured, and live in damp 

 places beneath moss, upon the sand of caves, 

 &c. Palpi geniculate, attached to the sides 

 of the rostrum, as the antenna? in the Cur- 

 culionidae. Movements slow. The single 

 genus, 



Bdella, has the characters of the family, 

 and includes the genera Scirus, Dug., and 

 Amonia, Koch. 



BIBL. Gervais, Walckenaer's Apt. p. 154; 

 Koch, Deutschl. Crust. $c. 



BDELLOIDI'NA, Carter. A sessile, 

 arenaceous, Lituolid Foraminifer, with nu- 

 merous,transverse, successive, sublabyrinthic 

 chambers. 



BIBL. Carter, Ann. N. H. March 1877, 

 p. 201. 



BEAN-FLOUR. The flour of the com- 

 mon bean, Faba vulgaris, is used to adulte- 

 rate wheat-flour; and that of the locust- 

 bean, Ceratonia siliqua, to adulterate coffee. 

 See ADULTERATION and STARCH. 



BEAN'IA, Johnst. A genus of Infundi- 

 bulate Polyzoa, of the suborder Cheilosto- 

 mata, and family Eucratiidse. 



Distinguished by the creeping adherent 

 branched thread, upon which the sessile 

 erect scattered cells are placed, each with 

 two rows of spines on one side. 



B. mirabilis. Parasitical on shells and 



