BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 79 



been overcome, but we think it is to be regretted that in some cases 

 authors should be represented by initials only. Just now folk can 

 easily ascertain by inquiry who are represented, say, by M W. J. B." 

 and 4< J. M. H." ; but in fifty years' time this will not be so simple 

 a matter. The names of authors are not indexed, and we think 

 that the practice — which we believe was initiated in this Journal, at 

 any rate for this country — of indicating in some special way names 

 published for the first time, is generally recognized as convenient. 

 There is surely no reason why the space at the head of each page 

 should not be utilized for indicating what is below, in accordance 

 with general practice. 



Mr. E. M. Holmes's collection of Marine Algae, the outcome of 

 thirty years' work, has been presented to the University of Bir- 

 mingham through the generosity of Mr. W. A. Cadbury. The 

 foreign algae have been selected as far as possible from published 

 fasciculi, and from authentic specimens received from leading algo- 

 logists, including Perceval Wright (Harvey's species), Agardh, Bornet, 

 Kjellman, Hauck, Keinke, Farlow, Reinbold, Foslie, and many 

 others ; as well as a number of types of Japanese and South African 

 algae. It is almost unique in the fact that, wherever possible, 

 specimens have been carefully remounted to show modes of branch- 

 ing, and a separate sheet has been kept for each variety of a species, 

 and for each form of fruit. The British collection was originally 

 formed with the view of publishing a new edition of the Algse 

 of English Botany \ but the project fell through, Many Scandi- 

 navian species which at the time of Harvey's classical Phycologia 

 Britannica were not known as British, were found on the coasts of 

 Scotland and the North of England, and many French species in 

 the south and south-west of England, through the researches of Mr. 

 Holmes, aided by coadjutors, especially Mr. G. W. Traill of Edin- 

 burgh and Mr. E. A. L. Batters at Berwick, Mr. G. Brebner, Mrs. 

 D. Robertson of Cumbrae, and by Mr. R. V. Tellam and H. Goode 

 in Devon and Cornwall. The result of their work was the publica- 

 tion of eleven fasciculi, each containing twenty new British species. 

 In " The Revised List of British Marine Algae," published in this 

 Journal for 1902, nearly seven hundred and fifty species are enu- 

 merated as against four hundred species known at the time of 

 the publication of Harvey's Phycologia Britannica. Two of the 

 rarest of these, Ectocarpus acanthophorus and E. Reinboldii, were 

 discovered by Mrs. Holmes, and have not as yet been found by 

 any one else. The collection also contains the fasciculi of Crouan 

 of the Algae of Finisterre, which it is believed is found in no other 

 collection in this country. Mr. Holmes's collection of British 

 mosses, largely representing Devon and Cornwall species, was pre- 

 sented to Cambridge University some years ago, by Mr. Thomas 

 Walker, B.A. (Camb.) of Tunbridge Wells, and Mr. Holmes's 

 large collection of British lichens— remarkable for the number 

 of beautifully fruited specimens of rare species, and for the fact 

 that none of the specimens were pressed, but mounted in boxes 

 was acquired last year by the University College. Nottingham. It 

 contains the majority of British species, including Larbalestier's 



