Berggren. — On Hsematococcus sanguineus. 369 



under my notice while it was passing through the press. The following 

 notes — with the analysis made some years since — will be found useful. The 

 plant has been named by Dr. Nylander (in a letter) Lecidea suhglohosa. 



Dr. Stirton's notes follow pretty closely parts of Nylander's description of 

 the genus Gomphillus, Nyl. There is, however, an essential difference in the 

 structure of the thallus from that of the Gomiiiliillus^ which is overlooked by 

 Dr. Stirton, but which is strongly in support of his view that the plant should 

 be classified under the genus Stereocaulon. In Buchanan's lichen the thallus 

 is made up of gonimia, as in Stereocaulon, instead of gonidia as in Gomphillus. 

 Ny lander's description of the genus Gomphillus would apply if " gonimia" was 

 substituted for ''gonidia," thus: "Thallus tenuissimus, e gonimiis [gonidiis] 

 mediocribus sphericis elementisque filamentoso-irregularibus gelatinose conglu- 

 tenatis constans." The paraphyses are indistinct only from their exquisite 

 fineness and compactness ; not, I think, from the " tenacious stiff gelatine 

 which pervades the hymenium." 



The filaments which bind the gonimia together are few and scattered. 

 The spores are 0*160 millim. long, and 0*003 millim. broad. 



Plate XXV. — Stereocaulon buchanani. Fig. 1, Section of apothecium 

 with portion of thallus. 2, Gonimia. 3, Gonimia, with filaments. 4, Spores. 



Art. LV. — On the Occurrence of Hsematococcus sanguineus on the Wool of 

 a dead Sheep. By Swen Berggren, Ph. D., Lund University. Com- 

 municated by Julius Haast, Ph. D., F.R.S. 



Plate XXIV. 



]_Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd April, 1874.] 



That group amongst the Algae, which was formerly included under the 

 term Protococcus, contains several species, which by their occurrence together 

 in enormous numbers suffuse with a characteristic colour the substance upon 

 which they grow. 



To this section of plants belongs the so-called " red snow," which consists 

 of simple roundish microscopic red cells, by which the ice and snow of alpine 

 and polar regions are coloured red; another species sometimes grows in 

 swamps and canals imparting to the water a similar hue ; while to another, 

 luxuriating in certain portions of the ocean, the Bed Sea owes its name. 



There are also species which form a red covering upon mosses or rocks j 

 others again grow upon vegetable products used by man, for instance, fruit 

 and bread — an occurrence which has given rise to remarkable errors of even 

 historical importance as to their origin and nature. 



Similar Algse appear also occasionally upon animal bodies. Thus I found 



Yl 



