COLLECTING OBJECTS. 137 



little on either side of it, amongst the miniature bays and 

 pools formed by the sphagnum, on looking straight down 

 into the water we shall probably see at the bottom a little 

 mass of jelly of a bright green, studded with numerous 

 brilliant bubbles of oxygen-gas. This is the general 

 appearance of most of the desmidiece, as Micrasterias, Eu- 

 astrum, Closterium, Cosmarium, &c. The spoon is also a 

 handy tool in this case, though, by practice, the finger will 

 do nearly as well; the chief difficulty arises when the 

 specimen is brought to the surface of the water, it not 

 being easy to get it out without losing a considerable por- 

 tion of it. Little pools in the bog, made by the footsteps 

 of cattle, are particularly good spots to find desmidiece, 

 many species being in a very contracted space. The most 

 prolific bog is at Tunbridge Wells, near a house known as 

 Fisher's Castle, not far from Hurst Wood. There is also a 

 good one at Esher, at a spot called West-End. It must 

 not be imagined that nothing can be obtained in this 

 department of botany without going some distance from 

 town ; but assuredly only commoner and fewer species can 

 be met with nearer home. At the West India Docks are 

 Synedra fasciculata, Gomphonema curvata, Diatoma elonga- 

 tum, Diatoma milgare, Surirella ovata, &c. ; and at this 

 same place a few objects, not of the botanical class, as 

 Spongilla fluviatilis, Cordylophora lacustris, Alcyonella, 

 stagnorum, <fec., are obtainable in abundance in the autumn. 

 In the ornamental water in St. James's Park may be found. 

 Cocconema lanceolatum, and other species of this genus, 

 Gomphonema cristatum, &c. Epping Forest, about the 

 neighbourhood of Leytonstone, Snaresbrook, Wanstead, 

 and Woodford Bridge, are also capital localities for the 

 filamentous algae, especially the last-named, where Nitella 

 translucens and Chara vulgaris abound." 1 



On the north side of the Serpentine, Hyde Park, espe- 

 cially near the bridge, may be found : 



CymbeKa maculata. 

 Gomphonema cristatum. 

 Scenedesmus quadricauda. 



,, obliquus. 



Ankistrodesmus falcatus. 

 Pediastrum Heptactys. 

 Cocconema lanceolatum. 

 Amphora ovalis. 



Cocconeis placentula. 



Uvella hyalina. 



Gallionella nummuloides. 



Euastrum elegans. 



Pixidula operculata. 



Cladophora glomerata and Sphsero- 



plea crispa, with many other 



alg*. 



(1) "Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science." 



