NIPHOBOLUS. 



[ 461 ] 



NITZSCHIA. 



mingled with them in the cavity of the con- 

 ceptacle, not forming a definitely marked 

 layer. 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



* CARPOBOLI. Peridium containing only one 

 conceptacle. 



1. ATRACTO BOLUS. Peridium simple, 

 cup- shaped, sessile, closed at first by an 

 umbonate lid. Conceptacle spindle-shaped, 

 simple, indehiscent, projected when ripe 

 from the bottom of the peridium. 



2. THELEBOLUS. Peridium simple, ses- 

 sile, roundish, urceolate-inflated ; mouth 

 entire. Conceptacle globose, papilliform, 

 protruded from the mouth. 



3. SPH^EROBOLUS. Peridium double, 

 each layer bursting in a stellate manner, the 

 internal membrane at length turned inside 

 out, and elastically projecting the globular 

 conceptacle. 



** NIDULARINI. Peridium with many 

 conceptacles. 



4. CRUCIBULUM. Peridium at first glo- 

 bose-capitate, afterwards crucible-shaped, 

 open at the mouth, exposing numerous disk- 

 shaped smooth conceptacles, each with a glo- 

 bular process on the under side prolonged 

 into a long slender thread-like funiculus. 



5. CYATHUS. Peridium at first obovate 

 or fusiform, sessile or stalked, closed by a 

 veil, afterwards widely open at the mouth, 

 exposing ten to eighteen disk-shaped, thick, 

 fleshy or horny conceptacles, umbilicate be- 

 neath and attached to the walls of the peri- 

 dium by a compound peduncle. 



6. NIDULARIA. Peridium sessile, sub- 

 globose, finally open (without evident veil). 

 Conceptacles numerous, disk-shaped, nest- 

 ling in copious gelatinous mucus, destitute 

 of a funiculus. 



BIBL. Tulasne, L.-R. and C., Recherches 

 sur les Nidulariees, Ann. des Sc. nat. 3 ser. 

 i. 41 ; Schmitz, MycologischeBeobachtungen, 

 Linncea, xvi. 141. 



NIPHOBOLUS, Kaulf. A genus of Po- 

 lypodieae (Ferns), with elegantly articulated 

 veins and numerous naked sori at the tips of 

 free branchlets. 



NITELLA. See CHARA. 



NITOPHYLLUM, Greville. A genus of 

 Delesseriaceae (Florideous Algae), containing 

 about half-a-dozen British species, only two 

 of which are commonly met with. Their 

 fronds are membranaceous, of reticulated 

 (parenchymatous) structure, mostly rosy red, 



without ribs, or with irregular ribs towards 

 the base. The membranously expanded 

 frond ofN.punctatum, 4 to 12" high, is either 

 regularly dichotomously divided or parted 

 into two or three principal lobes, which have 

 a border of dichotomous wedge-shaped lobes. 

 N. lacerum has the frond 2 to 10" high, 

 much dichotomously divided and marked 

 with flexuous veins, the segments mostly 

 linear, waved or fringed at the margins. 

 The fructification consists of spores, tetra- 

 spores, and spermatozoids. 1. The spores 

 are contained in coccidia, sessile on the 

 frond, the spores arising from tufted 

 filaments; 2. the tetraspores form distinct 

 scattered spots on the frond; 3. the an- 

 theridia are minute cellules standing per- 

 pendicularly on the surface of the frond, 

 collected into patches, only distinguishable 

 by the help of the microscope. 



BIBL. Harvey, Brit. Mar. Alg. p. 116. 

 pi. 15 B, Phyc. Brit. pis. 202, 203, 247, 

 &c.; Greville, Alg. Brit. pi. 12; Thuret, 

 Ann. des Sc. nat. 4 ser. iii. p. 22. 



NITRATE OF POTASH. See POTASH, 



NITRATE OF. 



NITRIC ACID,or Aquafortis, is usefulas a 

 reagent (!NTR. p.xxxix, 6),andfor separating 

 the organic matter of the Diatomaceae from 

 the siliceous valves (p. 202), &c. 



NITZSCHrA, Denny. (Liotheum). A 

 genus of Anoplura. 



N. Burmeisteri is the louse of the common 

 swift (Cypselus opus). 



BIBL. Denny, Anopl. Monogr. p. 230. 



NITZSCHIA. A genus of Annulata. 



BIBL. Johnston, Non-parasitic Worms, 

 1855. 



NITZSCHIA, Hass. A genus of Diato- 

 maceae, the name of which must be cancelled. 



Char. Frustules free, depressed, usually 

 elongate, straight, arched, or sigmoid, with 

 a longitudinal, not median, external keel (?), 

 and one or more longitudinal rows of puncta; 

 suture in front view of frustules not median. 



The valves have no nodules ; we have not 

 been able to satisfy ourselves of the presence 

 of the external keel ; upon the portions of 

 the valves forming the middle of the side 

 view of the frustules, is one or two longitu- 

 dinal rows of slightly elongate dots or puncta 

 (PI. 13. fig. 10 d), often visible under ordi- 

 nary ilium. ; surface of valves covered with 

 smaller dots, mostly opposite (not quincun- 

 cial) (fig. lOrf), invisible under ordin. ilium. 



The frustules and valves are either linear, 

 lanceolate, or of intermediate forms, some- 

 times constricted or beaked. 



