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8 THE MARINE ALGÆ OF NEW ENGLAND. common in Europe, is very rare with us, having been found in but one locality in the United States and one in Nova Scotia. Fucus canaliculatus, Himanthalia lorea, and the common European Cystoseiræ are quite wanting. The nearly ubiquitous Codium tomentosum is a species which has not yet been found on our northern coast. On the other hand some species, as Spyridia filamentosa and Chordaria divaricata, are more abundant in New England than in Europe, and the same is probably true of Euthora cristata and Ptilota serrata, if we except perhaps the arctic zone. It is evident that a great deal remains to be done before we can say that we have as accurate a knowledge of our marine flora as we have of that of most European countries. Hereafter any advance in the knowledge of our marine algæ must be made by a careful microscopic study on the shore. Probably all the large and striking species are now known, or if any remain to be discovered their discovery will be by mere chance, and not by any systematic search. What is especially needed is information about our winter and spring forms, and this can be best obtained by persons who either live on the shore or spend several months there, so as to be able to take advantage of the comparatively few days for collecting, which occur in our severe winters. The habits and structure of our Laminariæ need careful examination, microscopic as well as in the gross. The whole order of the Phæosporeæ, in fact, which abound in spring, should be studied, especially the genus Ectocarpus and its allies. Our Cladophoræ are in great confusion, and in the present paper I have been able to contribute but little towards their proper arrangement. Several years of study are necessary for the purpose, and, in fact, the task cannot well be accomplished until the European species are better known. Our Ulveæ are not in much better condition. The Ulvæ proper, thanks to the elaborate account of the genus given in Le Jolis’s Liste des Algues Marines de Cherbourg, can be tolerably well made out; but the determination of some of the species of Monostroma is merely approximate. The Cryptophyceæ, which inhabit the shores and brackish localities, are very numerous, and a large number of forms probably remain to be discovered. A study of the last-named order is, moreover, not without a practical bearing, as is shown in another part of the report, by the fact that the cause of the so-called red fish is due to the growth of an alga of this order. It is probable that we have with us nearly all the European species of this order, and an excellent guide for our students, is the admirable paper by Warming on the Bacteria of the Danish Coast.* Another group requiring study is the Squamarieæ, a small order consisting of species, which form crusts on stones and shells, often in deep water. As a rule comparatively little in the way of sea-weeds is found by dredging; but an examination of shelly and gravelly bottoms for Squamariæ is to be desired. Dredging is most successful between 10 *Om nogle ved Danmarks Kyster levende Bakterier, in Videns. Med. Natur. Foren., Copenhagen, 1875.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 9 and 30 fathoms, and at a greater depth than 50 fathoms almost nothing is found. The oyster-beds of the coast should be carefully searched for Cutlerieæ and other sea-weeds found in similar localities in Europe. Finally, a thorough exploration of the tidal rivers and sheltered coves of the eastern coast of New England is much to be desired, in order that we may know to what extent the southern forms extend northward when they find sufficiently warm water and a suitable place of growth. From an economical point of view, but little need be said with regard to our seaweeds as an article of food. Chondrus crispus, the Irish moss, as it is called in this country, is the only species of any commercial value. It is collected in considerable quantities at several localities, but especially at Hingham, Mass. It is used for making sea-moss farine, and is also employed to some extent by brewers for clarifying beer. As yet the use of Porphyra vulgaris, the laver, one of the common species for making soups, has not been introduced. The Chinese employed in the shoe factories at North Adams, Mass., import the same species from China, not apparently knowing that they could obtain an abundance of it in Massachusetts. The dulse, Rhodymenia palmata, is sold to some extent in the seaport towns, especially in Boston, where it is eaten principally by sailors and the Irish population. It is generally imported from the British provinces, but it could be obtained in abundance anywhere north of Boston, or even in some places in Long Island Sound. The great use of our sea-weeds is for the purpose of making fertilizers, and immense quantities are carted from the beaches and spread over the land near the shore. Usage, however, varies at different localities, for at Eastport the larger sea-weeds, which are practically the same species that are highly esteemed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, are considered of little value in comparison with animal manure. As far as I know, there are no manufactories of iodine or soda salts on our coast, although our species greatly resemble those used in Scotland for the purpose. The stem of the devil’s aprons, Laminariæ, are used by surgical-instrument makers in the manufacture of sponge-tents. Respectfully submitted. W. G. FARLOW. CAMBRIDGE, January 1, 1880. STRUCTURE AND CLASSIFICATION OF SEA-WEEDS. With a very few exceptions, all the plants of our coast which may be said really to grow in the water belong to the division of the vegetable kingdom known as the Cryptogams, or plants having no true flowers or seeds. Only two species of flowering plants are commonly found submerged in salt water, viz, Zostera marina, the saltwater eel-grass, and Ruppia maritima. The former is familiar to every one who has ever been to the shore, and is sometimes washed ashore in immense quantities
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