88 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



lished by Putnam, entitled 'Algae and Corallines of the Bay and 

 Harbor of New York . . . by C. F. Durant.' . . . How he is 

 to be repaid for the cost of this enterprise we know not. One 

 hundred dollars a volume must be the price, and two hundred 

 copies must be sold before the contingent expenses are paid. 

 But what is this sum to our numerous wealthy patrons of art 

 and genius ? " 



Commercial Advertiser, Jan. lo, 1851. — "We have had an 

 opportunity of examining during the past week a very beautiful 

 volume. ... As the title indicates, the book is devoted to a 

 science which, for a year or two, has attracted considerable at- 

 tention in this vicinity — algology, or the structure, habits and 

 classification of algae, or sea-weeds. . . . We understand that 

 Mr. Durant has collected specimens sufificient to illustrate fifty 

 copies of the work. . . . When completed, a portion of them 

 will be for sale at the publishers. ..." 



Following the printed title page of the volume is one from an 

 engraved plate, with a picture of Neptune at the top, and a 

 dedication " to the illustrious son of Ops, the noble scion of 

 Saturn, whose kingdom is the seas, and whose care is the plants 

 and the creatures that live in and upon the waters. ..." 



A preface and introduction follow, and then the systematic 

 part. This latter is of special interest to us, inasmuch as it con- 

 tains numerous references to species of seaweeds and other 

 marine organisms collected in the waters surrounding Staten 

 Island. Of these the following are specifically mentioned : 



Sargasswn bacciferum Turn. " Very rare in our Bay ... I 

 found it twice at Staten Island, on the shore at the mouth of 

 the harbor." 



Fucus nodosus L. "... particularly abundant at Staten 

 Island, Owls Head, Yellow Hook, and Hurlgate." 



Laminaria saccharina L. "... after a S. E. storm, the beach 

 at Staten Island and Fort Hamilton is covered for miles with 

 this plant." 



Polysiphonia formosa Suhr. " Annual in May, at Hurlgate, 

 Fort Hamilton, and Staten Island." 



