226 ATTRIBUTIONS PROM mm NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



1505P1 made near the mouth of Aptos Creek in Monterey Bay, Cali- 

 fornia, in 10 Fathoms. Biddulphia papiHata (Gr. & St. Mann, is not 

 infrequent at station 2920H that is, near the west coast of the 

 Hawaiian [slands. The original specimen was discovered in the fossil 

 deposit at Oamaru, NCu /calami: but two subsequent finds of this 

 rare diatom, one by Grove and one mentioned by Schmidt, were made 

 in the same vicinity as station 2920H. A solution of the question of 

 origin <>!' these forms at this point of theses bottom, to which they 

 were oecessarily transported (the depth being ~>7<» fathoms , would 

 doubt less he of inter 



Many species first found in Bering Sea and showing their origin in 

 their names, as Cocconeis <!n-ti<<i Cleve, have been rediscovered in 

 t hese invest igat ions at t he type localil ies. References tot bese (•((inci- 

 dence- will be found in the text of t hi- w ork under t he several species. 



Though not included in the work here repotted. I wish to mention 

 another case recently brought to my notice which illust rates t he value 

 of diatom- in determining locality on the sea bottom. In the cable 

 survey of the U. S. steamer A/ero a series of soundings was made over 

 a long belt of sea bottom between the islands of Guam and Luzon 

 \\ Inch 1 find are full of t he gigant ic < 'oscinodiscus r< x Wallich, a diatom 

 h\ no mean- common, but found here in such enormous quantities 

 that the gat herings are often a pure siliceous ma-- of the remain- of 

 this one species. This belt is over 3,000 miles long east and west and 

 of unascertained width, perhaps 20 mile- or a little over. On the 

 return voyage, whenever the -hip'.- course entered this belt great 

 quantities of t his diatom were again secured. Thus, for example, at 

 survey station 746, latitude ! 1 24' do" V. longitude 135 31' 00" K.. 

 2,788 fathom-, the material is practically pure Coscinodiscus rex. 

 Unquestionably sucb enormous quantities of this single diatom must 

 have been transported to this l>eh of sea bottom by long-continued 

 and constant currents; and it would therefore he quite possible, by 

 the study of soundings and especially of surface gatherings made in 

 the future, to determine the origin of this vast supply and conse- 

 quently the trend and extent of the transporting current. 



In connection with more thorough and extensive work upon the 

 diatom- for the purposes already mentioned, the Government would 

 he doing valuable service in adding to the supply of available and 

 trustworthy literature on the I )iat oniaceae. Probably no depart- 

 ment «>f botany is at the present time in such dire confusion and sup- 

 plied with such meager literature. Many of the authoritative work- 

 on t he subject were long since out of print . and are eit her not procur- 

 able at any price or so expensive as to make impossible t he systematic 

 study of these plant- by new investigators. A series of good works 

 easily procured would he a stimulus to further study. A- in all 



hmidt. Ulas pi. /'.;. 1891. 



