346 Transactions of the Society. ■ 



the rudimentary markings on their walls, never having more than a 

 single, indistinct, very open spiral, which may be present on one part 

 of an el iter, and absent on another part, or not unfrequently altogether 

 absent from the elaters of one sporangium, and present on some of 

 those in another sporangium taken from the same group. A type 

 of ornamentation on the walls of the elaters in the present genus 

 consists of annular or ring-like thickenings, which present the 

 appearance of thin, flat, circular, perforated discs, rather larger than 

 the diameter of the elater, and placed at right angles to its long axis. 

 These annular ridges are not peculiar to the present genus, but occur 

 in Cornuvia, and also in Didymium HooJceri, Berk., where they are 

 coloured. In rare instances, the two ends of an elater coalesce and 

 form a closed ring, as figured by Eostafinski in Oligonema nitens, 

 Kost., Mon., fig. 198. 



Five species known ; three European, one North America, one 

 N. Africa. 



A. Spores warted. 

 Oligonema Broomei, Mass. (n. sp.), fig. 22. 



Sporangia scattered, or aggregated in small clusters, depressed, 

 circular or elongated and irregular, darh 'brown, dull ; mass of capil- 

 litium and spores reddish ochre ; elaters cylindrical, 3-4 //- thick, 

 irregularly hranclied, dull orange, furnished with narrow thicJcenings 

 in the form of rings, which are either scattered or 3-4 close 

 together, tips obtuse ; spores rather coarsely warted, globose, 13-14 

 ^ diameter. 



Type in Broome Herb, in Brit. Mus., marked " Trichia serpula ? " 



On bark. England (Warleigh ! ). 



Sporangia 1-2 mm. across. Possessing several characters in com- 

 mon with 0. seneum, but distinguished by the scattered, dark brown 

 dull sporangia, branched elaters, and larger spores. 



Oligonema wneum, Karst. 



Sporangia densely crowded, often confluent and venulose, rarely 

 scattered, orbicular or angular from mutual pressure, depressed, 

 shining, ivith copper, green, or olive metallic tints ; threads of the 

 capillitium free, 2-3 /* ihich, with scattered thichenings in the form 

 of circles ; spores globose, warted, rather ferruginous or pale reddish 

 ochre, 12 /u, diameter. 



Karsten, Myc. Fenn., iv. p. 125 ; Sacc, Syll, n. 1487. 



Finland. 



Oligonema hrevifilum. Peck. 



Sporangia crowded in efiused heaps, bright ochraceous-yellow ; 

 eliiters few, short, cylindrical or suhfusiform ; spores globose, rugose, 

 \1 fi diameter. Peck in 31st Eep. State Agric. Mus., p. 42 ; Sacc, 

 Syll, n. 1489. 



On mosses. Oneida, U.S. 



