Botany and Zoology. 417 



the first time figures of the new genera Symphoricoccus, JTalo- 

 thrix, JTjellmania, Microspongium and Leptonema. The Phozo- 

 sporece evidently are much more rich in generic types than was 

 formerly supposed, and the complication of species in this order 

 has become so great that, even with as excellent descriptions as 

 those in the Algenflora, one would be glad to have also good 

 plates as a supplement. Not the least interesting plates to Amer- 

 ican algologists are those of the much confused and much abused 

 species, Ralfsia verrucosa and R. clavata, whose characteristics 

 are here well given. We would add that the remarks on those 

 species in the Algenflora are especially to be commended. We 

 have only one suggestion to make. Although the full synonymy 

 is given under the species described in the Algenflora, we think 

 it would be well to repeat the main points of the synonymy 

 briefly when the same species occur in the Atlas. We would 

 congratulate Professor Reinke on the excellence of the part 

 already published and hope that the work in his hands will pro- 

 gress without interruption. w. g. f. 



5. A Monograph of the Homey Sponges ; by Robert von 

 Lendenfeld. 936 pp. 4to, with 50 plates. Published, for the 

 Royal Society, by Triibner & Co., London, 1889. — The author of 

 this elaborate monograph has worked up the science of sponges, 

 and especially that of the Horney Sponges, from its foundation. 

 His studies on the subject began with the Mediterranean species. 

 In 1881 he extended his researches to Australia and afterward 

 continued them in New Zealand and again in eastern Australia ; 

 and in these regions, besides making large collections he had 

 placed at his disposal all those gathered in the museums of scien- 

 tific institutions. Finally, returning to Europe in 1886, the speci- 

 mens of the British Museum were opened to him. Mr. Lenden- 

 feld has thus been enabled to make a careful study of and re-de- 

 scribe all previously known species, to investigate the anatomy 

 and physiology of the different types in the field, and obtain that 

 comprehensive knowledge of the subject required for a true classi- 

 fication of the sponges. 



The number of species described in the work is 348, of which 

 258 live in Australian seas and 179 or 69 - 3 per cent of these are 

 confined to those seas. The European coast of the North Atlantic 

 afforded 12 species, the American coast of the same, 56, and the 

 Mediterranean, 44 species. The number of Australian species 

 found in other regions and the percentage relation is given 

 as follows, omitting the Asiatic and American coasts of the 

 Pacific from all of which only 7 species are recorded. 



Also Per cent 



Total. Australian. Australian. 



Mediterranean 44 21 47 - 7 



European coast of North Atlantic 12 3 250 



African coast of Atlantic - 10 4 40 - , 



American coast of North Atlantic 56 29 51"8 



American coast of South Atlantic 12 5 41-7 



African coast of Indian Ocean 38 22 57 - 9 



N. and E. parts of Indian Ocean 32 16 500 



Am. Jour. Sci.— Third Series, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 227 —Nov, 1889. 

 26a 



