ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY^ MICROSCOPY, ETC. 97 



from the Tetrasporesa by the absence of the power to form zoospores ; the 

 production of new cells takes place by repeated bipartitions of the pro- 

 toplasm; each cell is capable of becoming encysted. Cosmocladium, 

 sometimes incorrectly included here, belongs to the Desmidieas. Klebs's 

 family of Endosph^race^ is made up of the genera Chlorochytrium, 

 Endosphsera, Phyllohium, Siud Scotinosphsera ; the cells produce zoospores, 

 which may be sexual or not. The zygote (zygosperm) resulting from 

 the conjugation of the zoogametes gives birth, in Phyllohium, to a thallus, 

 which may hibernate in the encysted condition. In the Charaoie^, 

 consisting of the genus Characium alone, there are mega- and micro- 

 zoospores, both apparently non-sexual. 



The author concludes by stating that the Chlamydomonadineae, 

 detaching themselves from the Flagellata, constitute the base of the 

 great group of Algae, and that there is a clear distinction between the 

 lower members of the animal and vegetable kingdoms in the mode of 

 nutrition, animal digestion taking place in the interior of the protoplasm, 

 vegetable digestion in contact with the cell-wall ; while assimilation is 

 subject to the same laws in both kingdoms. 



New Algae from Porto Rico.*— Dr. M. Mobius describes a new 

 species and genus of epiphytic algae, PJiyllactidium tropicum, from Porto 

 Kico. It occurs as small discs resembling Goleochsete on the leaves of 

 various orchids, but without appearing to have any organic connection 

 with them. The nearly circular thallus consists of repeatedly bifur- 

 cating rows of cells, each containing a nucleus ; growth takes place in 

 the same way as in Mycoidea, by the division of the peripheral cells. 

 The thallus also puts out ascending filaments from certain cells, which 

 are not hyaline bristles, as in Goleochsete, but are divided transversely 

 into a number of cells. It is propagated by swarmspores, between which 

 no conjugation was observed, but which develope directly into a new 

 thallus. They are formed in zoosporanges which are transformations of 

 the ends of ordinary filaments of the thallus ; the number formed in a 

 sporange varies between 8 and 32. A Ghroolepus-iovm of the alga is 

 also described ; and, as in the case of Mycoidea, the author believes that 

 it unites in a symbiotic manner with a fungus to form an epiphytic 

 lichen. Dr. Mobius placed Phyllactidium near Mycoidea, and considers 

 it to belong probably to the Chroolepideae. 



Several other algae from Porto Kico are also described, and among 

 them the little-known Gompsopogon chalyheus Ktz., a fresh-water Floridea 

 found growing on leaves of a Potamogeton. 



Algae of New Zealand and Australia.! — Prof. 0. Nordstedt describes 

 the fresh-water algae collected by Dr. S. Berggren in New Zealand and 

 Australia in 1874 and 1875. Among them are a number of new species 

 belonging to the genera Aphanochsete, Bhizoclonium, Hyalotheca, Euas- 

 trum, Staurastrum, Gosmarium, &c. 



Fungi (including' liiclienes). 



Sporids of Lichens.J — Eev. W. Johnson claims for lichens a charac- 

 ter quite distinct from fungi, as seen in the nature of their tissues, as 

 well as in the circumstances of their growth. Lichens never putrefy 



* Hedwigia, xxvii. (1888) pp. 221-49 (3 pis.). 

 t K. Sveusk. Vetens. Akad. HiiudL, xxii. (1888) 98 pp. (7 pis.). 

 X North of England Micr. Soc, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Dec. 11, 1888. 

 1889. H 



