254 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 



ing 1911, 1912 and 1913 on the following species: 

 Griffithsia Bornetiana, Dasya elegans and Poly- 

 sipJwnia violacea. Tetraspores and carpospores 

 were planted on oyster shells, which were then 

 fastened to piles and left during the winter. The 

 annual life cycle of the species studied runs as fol- 

 lows: 



In June young plants become visible. These 

 produce, for the most part, tetraspores, though an 

 occasional sexual plant may be found. The tetra- 

 spores are released in July and germinate immedi- 

 ately to form the second crop, which consists of 

 sexual individuals. These often occur on other 

 algae and Zostera, whereas the first crop of tetra- 

 sporic individuals is confined to stones, piles and 

 other objects of a more or less permanent nature. 

 The sexual crop releases its carpospores in August 

 or early September. It is the small sporelings 

 from these spores which winter over. The indi- 

 viduals which have attained any considerable size 

 all die at the approach of cold weather. The tiny 

 holdfasts of the very young sporelings may be 

 seen during the winter and spring. From them 

 arise the tetrasporic plants of the first summer 

 generation. 



The alternation of generations in these species 

 is thus connected with their seasonal occurrence. 

 The sexual generation is characteristic of late 

 summer, while the tetrasporic plants survive the 

 winter and predominate in early summer. 



There is no sharp line between the first and sec- 

 ond crops, as a small percentage of both occur out 

 of season. This is particularly true of the tetra- 

 sporic individuals, which under favorable condi- 

 tions may survive throughout the summer and 

 continue to produce spores up to September. A 

 few of these belated tetraspores form holdfasts 

 which w-inter over and produce the scarce sexual 

 plants of the early summer following. In general, 

 however, the two crops are well marked. 

 The Marine Algw of Peru: Marshall A. Howe. 

 The specimens on which, chiefly, the paper was 

 based were secured by Dr. Eobert E. Coker, now 

 of the TJ. S. 'Bureau of Fisheries, while acting as 

 fishery expert for the government of Peru during 

 the years 1907 and 1908. They are referable to 

 about 100 species and they constitute one of the 

 largest collections of algaB thus far made in South 

 America and by far the best ever brought from 

 Peru. For the satisfactory determination of the 

 specimens it has been necessary to examine the 

 original materials of a considerable number of 

 little-known and briefly described South American 



species. The algas of Peru has been sparingly col- 

 lected, especially during a period of seventy-five 

 years preceding Dr. Coker 's visit, and about one 

 third of the species found by Dr. Coker appear 

 to be undescribed. Although Peru lies wholly 

 within the tropics, its marine flora, with the ex- 

 ception of a strip of coast about twenty miles 

 long at the extreme north, is of a temperate rather 

 than a tropical character. This is apparently due 

 to the influence of the Humboldt or Peruvian Cur- 

 rent, which brings northward the cold waters of 

 the South Temperate and Antarctic regions. The 

 mean summer temperature of the ocean at Callao, 

 latitude 12° South, is said to correspond to that 

 of New York, latitude 41° N., and of Monterey, 

 California, latitude 36° N. Accordingly, one finds 

 the typically tropical genera of green and red 

 algas poorly or not at all represented on the coast 

 of Peru. Instead, the larger brown algas, species 

 of Macrocystis, Lessonia and Eisenia, are the dom- 

 inating elements in the marine flora. 



Lantern photographs were exhibited, showing 

 some of the more characteristic species of the re- 

 gion. Among these were several illustrating the 

 hapteres and the disposition of the sporangia in 

 various forms of Macrocystis. 



The Trend and Influence of Certain Phages of 



Taxonomy: Avbn Nelson. 



Taxonomy has its place. It trains the percep- 

 tive faculties, teaches orderliness, develops judg- 

 ment and strengthens reason. There is a saving 

 grace in botany not found in most of the other 

 sciences and this is exercised through taxonomy 

 more fully than through all the other divisions of 

 botany combined. 



Systematic botany furnishes to the average lay- 

 man a more continuous incentive for pleasurable 

 and inspiring contact with the world about him 

 than any other subject that lays claim to a place 

 in a cultural course. It may be the primitive 

 phase, but most great botanists at least began at 

 this point, thus illustrating in their development 

 the recapitulation theory. , 



Systematists were never so numerous nor more 

 active than at present. All activity is not neces- 

 sarily progress. Motion up and down may be 

 spectacular and nothing more. 



There is but one reason for the existence of the 

 professional systematist; viz., to make it easier 

 for others to know plants. If we fail in this one 

 thing we fail in all. Judging by the indifference 

 of the multitude to our work; by the hopelessness 

 of the amateur who tries to acquaint himself with 



