344 Fresh-water Algce of Canada. 



are long and parallel, and slightly incurved at the apices as if 

 conforming to the globose form of the matrix. 



It is ascertained that this species has a corpuscular fructifica- 

 tion, observed on but few of the Fresh-water Alga?, and analogous 

 to that which is characteristic of the Marine Rhodosperms. " The 

 fruit of Chcetophora appears hitherto, says the "Annals" for June, 

 quoted by Hassall, to have been observed only by Mr. Berkeley, 

 a figure of which he published in his '' Gleanings of British Algse." 

 Dr. Miiller of Detmold has however met with and figured similar 

 fruit. Be has made moreover a very curious observation, viz., 

 that the fruit is accompanied by and at length connate with a red 

 globule of a similar form but smaller in size, which he considers 

 as the male fructification As the female capsule advances to 

 maturity, the male approaches it, becomes elongated, and at length 

 is united with, it, emptying the pollen globules into the female fruit. 

 This process being accomplished, it falls off. 



His account of the development of the spores within the capsule 

 is also curious. From each of the seeds a hyaline thread is deve- 

 loped, formed of the globules which press forward from the inside 

 of the seed ; this at length becomes green, and consists of a very 

 tender hyaline tube filled with a moniliform row of globules. 

 Finally, the uppermost globule is elongated into a new tube, which 

 is of a paler green than the rest of the thread. The capsule is no 

 longer visible, and the whole now resembles a Rivularia and 

 soon asumes the form C. tuberculosa. 



It has not been our good fortune to discover these capsules as 

 yet in this plant, nor to verify this process of reproduction. We 

 have however observed, certain red globules or granules, in the 

 cells, or assuming a large and independent external position. 

 Further investigation may thus enable us to verify this interesting 

 discovery of Miiller' s. 



Ch. elegats t s, Ag. 



Char. — Mucous matrix sub-globose, or lobed, rather solid, green t 

 Filaments sub-dichotomous. Ramuli fastigiate, the apices 

 produced beyond the gelatine and setigerous. 



Hassall, Hist. Brit. F. Alg., p. 127, plate ix., figs. 3, 4. 

 Harvey in Manual, p. 122. 

 Hab. — On sticks and stones in stagnant and clear pools. In the 

 fields at Mile End Toll-bar ; not very common. ■ 

 Vaucher says of this plant that " no species is more easy to 

 recognise ; it is formed of gelatinous protuberances of all sorts of 



