1881.]  Frogress of Botany in the United States in 1880. 951 
ber of the same journal the same author publishes a plate con- 
taining good figures of all the new desmids in the preceding list. 
Dr. Farlow’s paper “On some Impurities of Drinking-water 
caused by Vegetable Growths,” published in the First Annual 
Report of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, contributed 
to our knowledge of the economic relations of the fresh-water 
alge to ourselves. Two plates accompany this valuable paper. 
Dr. T. F. Allen’s “ Characeze Americane Exsiccatz,” consist- 
ing of dried specimens of ten species of Characea, was issued 
late in the year. The species are Witella tenuissima Desv., N. in- 
termedia Nordst., NV. megacarpa Allen, Chara intermedia A, Br., Ch. 
intermedia A. Br., var. Americana A. Br., Ch. contraria A. Br., Ch. 
sejuncta, A. Br., Ch. coronata A. Br., var. Schweiniteit A. Br., Ch. 
Syinopus A. Br., var. Michauxit A. Br.. Ch. hydropitys A. Br., 
var. septentrionalis, Nordst. 
¢. Lichenes. Our lichenologists appear to have published 
nothing during the year. 
a. Bryophytes. A severely critical paper entitled “ Bivalogical 
Notes and Criticisms,” by the lamented Coe F. Austin, appeared 
in the January Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. It was sug- 
gested by the study of a paper by Lesquereux, James and Schim- 
per containing descriptions of new species of North American 
Mosses, Mr. Austin challenged many of the new species de- 
Scribed in the paper under review. 
Mr. Austin published a paper, Bryological Notes, in the Feb- 
Tuary number of the Bulletin, consisting of critical notes upon 
Several species of mosses and several descriptions. The new 
genera Donnellia and Rauia were announced (but not described) 
and descriptions were given of Donnellia Floridana and Thuidium 
Alleni. 
The “ Catalogue of North American Musci,” by E. A. Bie and 
A. B. Hervey, enumerates 1237 species. Localities are given for 
all the species. 
e. Pteridophytes. Professor D. C. Eaton's magnificent work, 
“The Ferns of North America,” was brought to a close early in 
the year. ‘[he beautiful plates, by Emerton and Faxon, and the 
clear and satisfactory descriptions are notable features in this 
great contribution to our knowledge of the ferns of this country. 
In the June Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Professor 
Eaton, under the title of “ New or Little-known Ferns of the United a . 
