98 
ALGJ5. 
unicellular, quite external, each sporangium containing a single 
spore. Mature spores provided with two thin coverings. Haplos- 
pora globosa : Thallus attached by fibres, dark-brown, turning 
oblive-green in drying, decompoundly branched, branches and 
branchlets opposite, alternate, subsecund or scattered. Sporangia 
globose or subglobose, 85-114 (usually 90) p in diameter, sessile 
or shortly stalked, each spore completely filling its sporangium. 
Antheridia, 50-79 p long, 30-45 p wide. 
W e are indebted to Mr. G. Brebner, who has for some time past 
been successfully studying the marine algse of the Clyde sea-area, 
for this very interesting addition to our marine flora, which he 
gathered near the Lion rock, Cumbras. The plant was sent to us 
for identification with a note stating that Mr. Brebner had observed 
as many as four nuclei in a single spore ; this is of interest as 
confirming Reinke’s observations. As will be seen from the 
diagnosis given above, Kjellman found bodies which, at one time, 
he regarded as antheridia ; Reinke, however, in his very valuable 
paper, “ Ein fragment aus der Naturgeschichte der Tilopterideen” 
(“ Botanischen Zeitung,” 1889, No. 7, p. 9), remarks : “ I have 
thoroughly examined hundreds of examples of Haplospora globosa 
from various localities and collected at different seasons, but have 
never found on them other reproductive organs than the sporangia 
already described, each containing a large round spore with four 
or more nuclei. This spore, however, is certainly produced 
asexually, and, moreover, it germinates without any sort of sexual 
contact. I, therefore, have no hesitation in declaring Haplospora 
globosa an altogether asexual plant.” 
We most heartily congratulate Mr. Brebner on his “happy 
find,” and trust that his further investigations will result in the 
discovery of Scapbospora speciosa , Kjellm., which usually grows in 
company with Haplospora globosa , and many other species which 
have not yet been recorded from our shores. We may mention 
that Mr. Brebner has also sent us for identification a beautiful 
specimen of Ectocarpus tomentosoides , the discovery of which, as a 
British plant, was recently recorded in this journal (Yol. xxi, p. 
20). We have also seen specimens of the same species gathered 
by Miss Barton, near Howth, Ireland. 
Fylaiella varia, Kjellm. 
Mr. Holmes, in an interesting paper in the “ Annals of Scottish 
Natural History” (April, 1893), records the occurrence of this 
species in Scotland. It was gathered last year in Cromarty Firth, 
by Mrs. Farquharson, of Meigle, and forwarded to Mr. Holmes 
for identification. 
This alga forms loosely entangled mats of a dark olive-brown 
colour, lying free on the bottom or hanging on other algas. The 
fronds are decompoundly branched, the branches spreading at a 
wide angle ; the ultimate branches are very short and patent. 
Jhe short branches, consisting of 2-10 cells, are frequently 
