-45- 
forms of leaves: this comparison leaves no shadow of doubt as to the identity 
of the Canadian with the Alaskan and Japanese plant. And Hypopterygium 
, canadense Kindb. becomes a synonym of Hypopterygium, japonicum Mitt. 
Dr. Kindberg published H. canadense in Rev. Bryol. 28:46-48, 1899. A 
study of this article reveals the ground of error. Plainly, Hypopterygium being 
a. tropical genus both of the Western and Eastern Hemisphere, and Canada 
being in the Western, the search for its allies was made by Dr. Kindberg among 
American Hypopterygia. For he enumerates fifteen species, with jottings of 
individual differences under each: being satisfied that it differs from each of 
them, and quite correctly so, he concludes to “signalize” it as a new species, 
quite remarkably out of its range. But here comes a new station, on Corona- 
tion Island, S. E. Alaska, several hundred miles farther north than Queen Char- 
lotte Island, making still more questionable the association of this species of 
Hypopterygium with the American aggregation. This great extension into a 
far northerly region — upward of 55 0 N. lat. (the exact latitude of Egg Harbor is at 
this writing not obtainable) — is explainable only by considering the Kuro Siwo, 
•or Japan Stream, in connection with it. This great natural phenomenon, cor- 
responding in the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic, like the 
latter carries the heat poured by the sun on the Equatorial Current into high 
northern latitudes. The Pacific Stream takes its English name from the fact 
that in its onward course it sweeps by the Japanese Archipelago, northward 
past the shallow Bering Sea, and thence southeast and past our Northwest 
Coasts. This, it seems to me, is the explanation of the occurrence of Hypo- 
pterygium japonicum in the two out-of-the-way stations. Our two great marine 
•currents (as well as our Southern Hemisphere currents) are to be reckoned with 
as dynamic forces for the distribution of organisms, both plant and animal. 
Note: Previous writers have used the term amphigastrium, n. (pi. amphi- 
gastria ) for the small median leaves, a term introduced for them in Linnaea 20: 
95, by Hampe, and kept by Brotherus in Nat. Pflzf. 1:3:964. The plants of 
this genus have jiat branches, with distichous, inequilateral leaves, to which is 
added a third row of smaller, symmetrical leaves closely pressed to the axis of 
the branch, a provision which seems to facilitate the retention of moisture. These 
are the innocent victims of our classical passion for long names, here, as usual, 
in the inverse ratio to their size. Why is it not sufficient to call them “ventral 
bracts” or “ventral leaves”? See Plate IX. 
A NEW REINKELLA FROM MEXICO REINKELLA PARISHII HASSE 
H. E. Hasse 
During October, 1913, Mr. S. B. Parish, in a flying trip to the Coronados 
Islands off the coast of Lower California, collected among several other interest- 
ing Lichens one that was referred to Dr. Zahlbruckner for determination, con- 
cerning which he replies: “In habit it approaches Roccellographa so closely that 
a sterile specimen could not be distinguished from that genus. The apothecia 
