574 
Japanese  Isinglass. 
Am.  Jour  Phara  . 
Nov.,  1880. 
the  one  consisting  of  quadrangular  sticks,  from  i  to  \\  inch  in  diameter 
and  II  inches  long,  and  the  other  in  slender  furrowed  strips,  only  \  of 
an  inch  in  diameter.  The  first  form  appears  to  be  the  rarest  in  com- 
merce, and  is  usually  not  so  white  and  transparent  as  the  second  form, 
although  this  is  not  always  the  case.^ 
With  a  view  to  determining  the  algae  which  enter  into  the  compo- 
sition of  this  article  specimens  were  submitted  to  microscopical  exami- 
nation, those  pieces  being  chosen  which,  from  their  opacity  or  less 
transparent  and  clean  appearance,  indicated  the  probability  of  contain- 
ing fragments  of  algae  in  an  unaltered  state. 
The  following  species  were  thus  detected  : 
Streblonema. — Fragments  of  a  species  of  this  genus,  consisting  of 
articulated  branched  threads  of  a  brown  color,  were  found  attached  to 
a  piece  of  Gelidium^  but  the  fragment  was  too  incomplete  to  determine 
the  species. 
Scytosiphon  lomentarius^  J.  Ag. — A  portion  of  this  phaeosporous  alga, 
presenting  a  portion  of  the  tubular  frond,  with  the  peculiar  constriction 
characteristic  of  this  species,  was  found. 
Sporacanthus  cristatus^  KUtz. — This  plant  was  represented  by  a  little 
mass  of  branchlets,  composed  of  a  single  row  of  cells  and  termmating 
in  points  ;  in  some  specimens  cruciate  tetraspores  were  found,  the 
specimens  corresponding  well  with  KUtzing's  figure  of  the  plant 
(''Tab.  Phyc,"  v.,  p.  24,  t.  Ixxxii). 
Ceramium. — The  debris  of  algae  belonging  to  this  genus  were  not 
rare,  but  the  fragments  met  with  were  too  incomplete  to  determine  ihe 
species.     One  species,  so  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  presence  of 
spines  on  the  nodes,  appeared  to  be  Ceramium  ciliatum^  Klitz.,  /. 
"Tab.  Phyc,"  xii.,  p.  26,  t.  Ixxxvi. 
Centroceras  clavulatum^  Ag. — The  specimen  detected  consisted  only 
of  two  joints,  but  these  presented  such  clearly  defined  characters  that 
there  could  be  no  doubt  the  fragment  belonged  to  the  above-named 
species,  since  they  exactly  corresponded  with  KUtzing's  figure,  /. 
xiii.,  p.  7,  t.  xviii. 
Endociadia  vernicata^  J,  Ag. —  The  debris  of  this  alga  was  very  rare. 
One  of  the  filaments  found  exactly  resembled  that  represented   by  M. 
Suringar  ("  iVIus.  Bot.  de  Leyde,"  vol.  i,  Algues  de  Japon,  pi.  xxx). 
Gloiopeltis  tenax^  Turn. — Here  and  there  in  the  jelly  were  found  por- 
^  Specimens  of  this  substance  in  laminae  have  since  been  received  from  Japan,  and 
:ontain  the  same  algas. 
