1900 | BRIEFER ARTICLES 499 
became evident that many ecological problems are here presented for 
solution. Interesting results ought certainly to be gained from a 
comparison of the distribution and anatomical structure of the forms 
occurring here with those of the same or similar forms on others of 
these banks farther north, where the atmospheric moisture conditions 
must, it would seem; be quite different. 
In all nearly a hundred vascular plants were collected and identi- 
fied, chiefly by Mr. W. C. Coker. 
NOTE ON THE ALG OF BOGUE AND CORE SOUNDS. 
The nature of the bottom of the ocean and sounds near Beaufort 
is such as to provide few habitats of the sort most frequented by 
marine algae. ‘There are no rocks whatever, except one or two stone 
wharves near the town, and several short breakwaters near the inlet 
from the ocean. Rock pebbles even are practically wanting, any as 
large as a pea being seldom found on the natural beaches. It will not 
be surprising, therefore, to find that the algal flora is comparatively 
poor in species, and is made up in numbers chiefly of those forms 
which attach themselves to shells lying on the sandy or muddy bottom. 
Probably the most abundant alga in the sounds, except possibly 
Ulva lactuca, is Fypnea musciformis, which grows in thick snarled 
tufts on every available substratum. Scattered quite generally ss: 
the latter are tufts of Déctyota dichotoma, here near its northern limit, 
together with abundant specimens of Rhabdonia tenera and Gracillarta 
confervoides. 
Codium tomentosum sometimes also occ 
but is much more frequent on the rocks of the breakwaters. On these 
Same rocks we find Dictyota in abundance, often. accompanied by the 
telated form Padina pavonia. More abundant than all other pi 
here, however, is Sargassum vulgare, which covers the inner som 
Waters with thick tufts half a yard in length. On the pea 
much less frequent Fucus, Ectocarpus siligulosus and other Ec 
Carpus species are very abundant. Among the coarser forms, ae 
cially on the more exposed parts of the breakwater, 8roW Enteromorp 
and most of the more delicate Rhodophycee that are found rt 
Beaufort. Chief among the latter are Dasya elegans, Erythr yale 
“<eramicola, Gelidium crinale, Grinnellia Americana, and Trentepo : 
Yrgatula, with several species each of Callithamnion, Ceramium, an 
Polysiphonia. 
urs on shells in the sounds, 
