Stoneivort {GJiara Sp.) 



Ifatei'ial. — Species of Chara are to be found growing 

 in tangled masses in the bottoms of ponds, ditches, and 

 slow-fiowing streams. A handful of the plants may be 

 pulled out of the mud and placed in a deep aquarium 

 jar having a layer of mud two or three inches deep in 

 the bottom. The plants should have an abundance of 

 water. Small snails feed upon them, and there will 

 probably be a good many of these attached to the plants. 

 All but a few of these snails should be removed, other- 

 wise they wiU injure and possibly destroy the plants 

 by eating the buds and young branches. The fruiting 

 stages are to be found during the late summer and 

 fall. Aquarium specimens may continue to fruit until 

 late in the winter. It is well, however, to preserve the 

 fruiting stages when found, rather than run the risk of 

 not having them fresh when wanted. Plants may be 

 preserved in alcohol, passing them through the various 

 D-rades from fifty per cent, to ninety-five per cent, as 

 usual ; or, better, place them for a day in one per cent, 

 solution of chromic acid, wash for ten to fifteen minutes 

 in running water, then place successively in fifty per 

 cent., seventy per cent., eighty per cent., and ninety-five 

 per cent, alcohol for about twelve hours each. 



The student will need dissecting-needles, hand-lens, 

 compound microscope, glass or porcelain bowl, fine for- 

 ceps, dilute hydrochloric acid, pith, razor, pipette, watch- 

 glass, a pair of dividers, iodine, carmine, magenta, fifty 

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