444 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Beaufort, N. C.: Abundant September and October, 1905, Bogue Beach; occasional in later years; 

 fairly abundant attached to shells and marine grasses between jetties at Fort Macon, occasional on 

 jetties, August and September, 1906 and 1907; occasional on sea buoy and Shackleford jetty, 1906 and 

 1907. Wrightsville Beach, N. C.; Fairly abundant in sound near inlet, August arid September, 1909; 

 abundant in almost pure masses on beach, August, 1909. 



This species was first observed at Beaufort on the beach in 1905, it appeared in the harbor in 1906, 

 was fairly abundant there for two summers, and then seemed to disappear, not being recorded for the 

 region in 1908 or 1909. 



It reaches its northern known limit at Beaufort. 



Family 3. ELACHISTEACEjC Kjellman. 

 Elachistaceae. De Toni, 1895, P- 436. 



Frond minute, sometimes almost microscopic, epiphytic, forming a pad or tuft 

 consisting of a horizontal and an erect portion; horizontal portion consisting of loose or 

 more or less closely adherent, branched filaments, upright portion consisting of filaments, 

 usually branched below, simple above, loosely grouped, or more or less densely com- 

 pacted, sometimes forming an almost parenchymatous structure below ; filaments mono- 

 siphonous or polysiphonous, with longitudinal growth basal or lasting longest at the 

 base; "unilocular" and "plurilocular" sporangia formed in the place of assimilating 

 filaments, or by the transformation of single assimilating cells, or of offshoots from 

 these cells. 



About 20 species, in all seas, especially in the North Atlantic Ocean. 



Genus Elachistea Duby. 



Elachistea, Duby, 1832, p. 339 (19). 

 Elachista, De Toni, 1895, p. 439. 



Frond forming small pads or tufts showing horizontal and erect portions; horizontal 

 portion composed of monosiphonous branched filaments loosely or closely aggregated; 

 from this arises the erect portion, usually consisting of a basal layer and erect filaments, 

 the basal layer composed of branched, mostly colorless, monosiphonous filaments more 

 or less densely compacted, sometimes forming an almost parenchymatous structure, 

 erect filaments monosiphonous, simple or sparingly branched below, moderately or 

 greatly elongated, richly colored; "unilocular sporangia" pear shaped, "plurilocular 

 sporangia" filiform, usually consisting of a single row of cells, occasionally divided to 

 form two rows of cells, both kinds of sporangia arising from the basal layer. 



About 15 species, widely distributed, but most abundant in the North Atlantic 

 Ocean. 

 Elachistea stellulata (Harvey) Griffiths. Figs. 20 and 21. 



Conferva stettvlata, Harvey. 1841, p. 132. 



Elachista stellulaia, Griffiths, in Areschoug, 1843, p. 261. 



Elachista sieUrdata, De Toni, 1895, P- 439- 



Thallus consisting of extensive endophytic filaments from which arise, here and there, external, 

 hemispherical tufts of erect filaments and sporangia; internal filaments irregularly and profusely 

 branched, frequently anastomosing, segmented, irregular in form and size, erect filaments and sporangia 

 arising from a poorly developed basal layer, erect filaments 0.3 to 0.8 mm. long, 5 to 10 mic. wide, 

 "unilocular sporangia" obovate or pear shaped, about 25 by 10 mic., "plurilocular sporangia" usually 

 long, cylindrical, sometimes club shaped, obtuse, 30 to 50 by 5 to 10 mic. 



On Dictyota dichotoma, England. 



Fairly abundanton Dictyota dichotoma dredged from the coral reef offshore, Beaufort, N. C., August, 

 1914. 



