PREFACE TO VOL. II. 



This volume, dealing with the section Chares, com- 

 pletes the survey of the British Charbphyta. It in.lades 

 the new species Chara muscosa (8a), which had not been 

 described when the first volume was issued, and does 

 not therefore appear in the key to the British species in 

 that volume. 



The present volume contains twenty-five plates. 

 Three of these (24, 34, and 40) have been reproduced 

 (with slight alterations in one of them) from drawings 

 by the late Henry Groves originally published in the 

 'Journal of Botany.' Two others (26 and 37) from his 

 hand, and published in the same journal, have been 

 partly re-drawn by Miss Mary Groves with alterations 

 and additions. The rest have been specially prepared 

 for this work. No. 35 having, however, also appeared 

 in the 'Journal of Botany.' All the drawings showing 

 the plants in their natural size, as well as several 

 of the magnifications, are from Miss Groves's pencil, 

 and we have again to express our indebtedness and 

 warm thanks to the artist for her very painstaking and 

 skilful work. The very successful reproduction of the 

 drawings by Messrs. Whittingham & Griggs reflects great 

 credit on that firm. 



The chapter on the fossil Charophyta does not claim 

 to be more than an introductory sketch pointing the 

 way to an interesting field of study well worth further 

 investigation. The plate relating to the fossil species is 

 taken from photographs made by the late Clement Reid 

 and reproduced by permission from the publications of 

 the Royal and Geological Societies. 



We have added a chapter on the collection and pre- 

 servation of specimens in the hope that it rnay prove 



