Farlow.] 64 [December 7, 



Dr.' W. G. Farlow exhibited a collection of Marine Alga?, 

 of the eastern coast of the United States, and remarked on 

 their geographical distribution. 



The coast may be divided into three regions in -which the algse 

 present a marked difference. In the first division, extending from 

 Cape Cod north, the Melanosperms predominate and are the dis- 

 tinguishing mark. Of these, although the Fuci are more numerous, 

 the Laminariaceas are the most striking. The Laminaria longicruris, 

 not rarely eighty feet long, is very abundant. It has never been found 

 south of Cape Cod. In Europe it is found sometimes on the north 

 of Scotland and on the coast of Norway. The Agarum Tunieri, the 

 sea-colander, another of the Laminariaceas, is peculiar to the coast 

 of America north of Cape Cod. Its only other habitat is Alaska. 



Of the Rhodosperms the Euthora cristata is very abundant, much 

 more so than in any other part of the world. The beautiful Ptilota 

 serrata may almost be said to be peculiar to our coast. Its only 

 other habitat is Norway, where it sometimes occurs. The Halos- 

 accion is found north of Rye Beach in abundance, but as its fruit has 

 never been seen, its scientific position is still doubtful. 



The Chlorosperms, although rich in species, are limited to few 

 genera, the Cladophorce outnumbering all the others. The beautiful 

 Sipliowcece, the highest of all the Chlorosperms, are represented 

 only by Bryopsis plumosa. 



The marine flora of New England resembles very strongly that 

 of the north of Scotland and Norway. 



The moment we pass south of Cape Cod we have a vegetation most 

 strikingly like that of the Adriatic in the neighborhood of Venice. 

 Dasya elegans, Solieria chardalis, and Polysiplionia variegata are dis- 

 tinguishing algse of both Long Island Sound and Venice. Besides 

 these we find the extremely beautiful Grmnellia Americana, perhaps 

 our most beautiful alga, and only found in Long Island Sound. The 

 Chlorosperms of this region are few in number and uninteresting 

 in character. The Melanosperms are by no means as numerous, eith- 

 er in species or individuals, as north of Cape Cod. But in Greenport 

 harbor we first find in a growing state a representative of the tropical 

 genus Sargassum, Montaguei, while south of Nantucket large masses 

 of Sargassum bacciferum, the common gulf- weed, are found floating, 

 probably brought from the Gulf of Mexico by the Gulf-Stream. The 



