FRESHWATER ALG^. 45 



litorea (Kiitz.) Born, et Flah. (figured by Bornet et Thuret, Notes algologiques, 

 tab. XXIX.), the dimensions of which are, however, much greater. 



There is also some resemblance to N. harveyana (Thwaites) Thuret, but the 

 filaments of the Antarctic form do not taper at the ends, and the cells are much 

 flatter. 



66. NODTJLARIA QUADRATA sp. n. 

 (PI. II., figs. 109-115.) 



Fills in stratum laxum dispositis, ssepe elongatis et modice flexuosis, interdum 

 subrectis et parallelis, finibus vix attenuatis, cellula apicali rotundata vel plus minusve 

 conica membrana ssepe modice incrassata ; vaginis tenuibus, hyalinis, plerumque 

 distinctis ; cellulis deplanatis, longitudine 2-3plo latioribus, confertis, contentu Isete 

 serugineo plus minusve granuloso ; trichomatibus modice torulosis ; heterocystis 

 singulis, raro binis, quadratis, plerumque tam longis quam latis vel interdum paulo 

 longioribus, rare modice deplanatis, diametro cellulis vegetativis paulo latioribus, 

 membrana incrassata, contentu Isete serugineo homogeneo ; sporis subglobosis, paulo 

 longis quam latis, membrana levi, contentu granuloso. 



Diam. cell. veg. = 3-4 /x, ; diam. vag. = 5-6 /a ; diani. heterocyst. = 5-6 /x ; 

 diam. spor. = 7 fx; long. spor. = 8 /i. 



Hah. — Freshwater pond in eskers upon ice, halfway between Black and Brown 

 islands, January 3rd, 1903 ; pond in ice off Black island, McMurdo Strait, 

 December 31st, 1902 ; growing in and through ice in pond among the eskers which 

 border the shore of the Western Mainland, December 2nd, 1902. 



The most striking characteristic of this species are the square heterocysts, which 

 are unusual in the genus (figs. 109-111). As the figures show, the heterocyst is square 

 or even slightly longer than broad (figs. 109-110), even in filaments in which the 

 vegetative cells are prominently flattened. The apices of the filaments are not 

 attenuated, but the apical cell is frequently long and more or less pointed, often 

 having an approximately conical shape (figs. 112-114). Unfortunately only one 

 case of spore-formation was seen, and I do not feel sure that this spore was mature ; 

 it was spherical with flat end-walls and had a thin membrane and granular contents 

 (fig. 115). 



The species probably stands nearest to N. harveyana (Thwaites) Thuret, but it 

 diff"ers from it in the non-attenuation of the filaments, in the shape of the heterocysts 

 and in the generally flatter cells. The heterocysts somewhat resemble those of 

 N. tenuis G. S. West (" Eep. Fresh w. Alg., incl. Phytoplankton, of the Third Tanganyika 

 Expedition, 1904-5," Journ. Linn. Soc, Bot, xxxviii (1907), pp. 171-172), but this 

 species differs in its short trichomes, the attenuation of the ends of the latter, and the 

 square cells ; the dimensions are also less than in N. quadrata. 



