1 82 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [J u ty> 



The study of Fucus in inland laboratories.— The Fucaceae are among 

 the most interesting and instructive of the algse, especially in regard to 

 their reproduction, but unfortunately being strictly marine, they are not 

 easily accessible, at least in the living state, to inland students. 



It may be of interest to some of the readers of the Gazette to know 

 that this difficulty is not by any means so great as is generally supposed, 

 and that with a little care they may be shipped in good condition for long 

 distances. Last winter (Feb. 3), I received through the kindness of Mr. 

 F. S. Collins, of Walden, Mass., a lot of Fucus, mostly F. vesiculosus, but 

 including also F. platycarpus and F. furcatus. They were simply gath- 

 ered wet and wrapped in oiled cloth so as to prevent drying, and arrived 

 in perfect condition. 



Not having sea-water on hand, a solution of common salt of approxi- 

 mately the same density as ordinary sea-water (3 per cent.) was tried and 

 found to answer admirably. My object was to study the fertilization, and 

 this succeeded perfectly. If the plants are exposed for a few hours to 

 the air, the ripe sexual organs will be exuded from the conceptacles in 

 masses of considerable size. In F. vesiculosus, which is dioecious, the 

 male and female plants are at once recognizable by the different color of 

 the mucilaginous drops which ooze out from the mouths of the concept- 

 acles; the masses of antheridia being orange yellow, while the oogonia 

 are olive brown. 



If now a drop from each plant is placed in a drop of the salt water, 



in a very short time the antheridia will discharge their contents and 



the water will be fairly alive with the spermatozoids. Shortly after the 



ova are set free, and almost immediately are surrounded by numerous 



spermatozoids, which attach themselves to the surface and often are so 



numerous as to set them in rotation, presenting a most extraordinary 

 sight. 



It is best to put the oogonia in the water first and wait until a num- 

 ber of the ova are discharged bBfore putting in the antheridia, as in this 

 way a supply of freshly discharged and active spermatozoids is assured. 

 Care should be taken, too, to support the cover glass with a bit of paper, 

 or some similar object, in order to avoid pressure on the oogonia. 



The above experiment was suggested by the account of Fucus in 

 Strasburger's " Botanisches Praktikum," 1 in which, however, he seemed 

 to think that sea-water was necessary.— Douglas H. Campbell, Blooming- 

 ton, Indiana. [" Sea salt 1 ' can be procured at most druggists' and might 

 profitably be substituted for common salt.— Eds. 



1 First German Edition, page 386. 



