Botany 73 



cies and Localities of Microscopical Organisms," contained in 

 the third volume of the " Contributions," Professor Bailey in- 

 cluded numerous lists of Desmids, Diatoms, and other small 

 marine and fresh-water algae, with descriptions, notes, and 

 figures of the more interesting species and a few references 

 to marine Florideae. 



We find in the Report for 1850,* the first reference to one 

 of the most extensive and important botanical memoirs pub- 

 lished by the Institution, namely, that of William H. Harvey, 

 on the " Marine Algae of the United States." Professor Har- 

 vey, of Trinity College, Dublin, distinguished for his exten- 

 sive knowledge of marine plants, was invited in 1 849 to give 

 a course of lectures at the Lowell Institute in Boston, and, 

 taking advantage of the presence of this expert algologist in 

 our country, arrangements were made with him by the In- 

 stitution for preparing a complete marine flora of our coast. 

 In preparation for the work Professor Harvey spent several 

 months on the Eastern coast, at Halifax, Massachusetts Bay, 

 Long Island, Charleston, and Key West, studying the algae 

 and examining the herbaria of local collectors. On his return 

 to Dublin he worked up the rich material he had brought to- 

 gether, and completed with his own hands the colored draw- 

 ings to be used as illustrations. The expense of printing the 

 text and plates being great, it was decided to issue the work 

 in three parts. The first part, including the Melanospermae, 

 was published in 1852 in the third volume of the " Contribu- 

 tions," with one hundred and fifty pages and twelve plates. 

 The second part, including the Rhodospermae, appeared in 

 the sixth volume the following year, but the third part, including 

 the Chlorospermae and supplement, did not appear until 1858. 

 The three parts were then bound in one volume, entitled 

 " Nereis Boreali-Americana ; or, Contributions to a History 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1850, page 12. 



