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A LIST OF THE MARINE ALG.E OF BERWICK-ON-TWEED. 381<br />

by including all new species published up to the present year, and<br />

by embodying his own researches into the genus Fissulcas, and<br />

those of M. Cardot into the more puzzling Spkarjuuni. There is a<br />

queer printer's error in the introduction, which makes it appear<br />

that the expected publication of several new species in certain<br />

journals is, instead of being worth noting, " worth nothing."<br />

A. G.<br />

A List of the Marine Alga of Benvick-on-Twced. By E. A. L.<br />

Batters, B.A., LL.B., F.L.S. [Reprinted from the Ber-<br />

^vickshire Naturalists' Club Transactions, 1889] . Alnwick,<br />

pp. 171, tab. 5.<br />

Mr. Batters is to be congratulated on the publication of his<br />

admirable list. The performance is practically his own from<br />

beginning to end, since as a foundation he had merely the meagre<br />

enumeration of the seaweeds of this district made thirty-five years<br />

ago by Dr. Johnston. There is probably no other locality in<br />

Britain so rich in species as the coast northwards of Berwick-on<br />

Tweed, and when it is stated that the exploration of it has been<br />

accomplished by Mr. Batters almost, if not, single-handed, the<br />

student of phycology will know the extent of labour and research<br />

involved. To do this thoroughly Mr. Batters has visited Berwick<br />

at all seasons, and has made particular note of those minute forms<br />

microscopic forms as they are called—so commonly overlooked.<br />

This examination has led to the discovery of forms new to science,<br />

as well as to Britain, among which may be mentioned here the<br />

generic form Battersia of Keinke. There was another difficulty in<br />

performing this task. Since tlie publication of Harvey's ' Phycologia<br />

Britannica,' the nomenclature of British AlgiC has been revolutionized<br />

and numerous species have been added of whicli there has been<br />

little more than obscure record made in journals. He had therefore<br />

to adopt a new system in consonance with modern lights in<br />

phycology. In this again Mr. Batters has been not only judicious<br />

in selecting from among rival systems, but almost painfully exact<br />

in the quotation of names, &c.<br />

Under each species there are cited, a published description,<br />

figure, no. in exsiccata, synonymy (where such exist), its habitat,<br />

and in nearly all cases a discussion of the position, affinities, &c.,<br />

of the species. At the beginning there is an introduction dealing<br />

with the distribution of tlie species in the district, and a list of<br />

classes, orders and genera. At the end an artificial key, a bibliography,<br />

index and description of plates, as well as a list of the<br />

species in the ' Phycologia ' Britannica that have changed name<br />

since its puljlication, botli old and new names being given. From<br />

tlu! list it appears tliat there are 119 genera and 271 species in the<br />

Berwick Marine Flora,— a very limited district,— and 78 of these<br />

species liave l)oen added to the British Flora, since the publication<br />

of tlie 'Bliycologia Britannica.'<br />

It hardly needs saying, therefore, that we liave here by far the<br />

moat solid contribution to British phycology since the publication

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