Biological Notes

Abstract

ALGÆ OF THE GULF OF FINLAND.—M. Chr. Gobi made an excursion along the borders of the Gulf of Finland in the summer of 1879 with the object of investigating the algse of this district. In spite of the weather being of the most unfavourable character he was enabled to work out the whole south-west coast of this district, from St. Petersburg to the comparatively open sea at Hapsal. Along the southern coast of the Island of Kotlin, on which Cronstadt is built, and also along the opposite coast shore at Oranienbaum, chlorophyllaceous algae were almost exclusively met with, and these belonging to species to be also met with in the fresh waters of the adjoining lands, for example, three distinct species of Cladophora (among these C. glomerata), several forms of the genera Oedogonium, Spirogyra, Zygnema, and other filamentous Mesocarpeæ; various Desmidiaceæ (Cos-marium, Closterium, Scenedesmus), a much-branched, very fine, almost hair-like Enteromorpha (apparently E. salina), also various oscillatoriaceous forms and diatoms. Besides at Cronstadt an Ulothrix, more commonly in the early summer months, and a Merismopœdia (probably M. Kützingii) at Oranienbaum, the pretty Sprulina Jenneri, amidst various Oscillatoria, was met with, also Vaucheria, and in larger quantities Hydrodictyon utriculatum, in the various stages of development (middle of August). About seven versts west of Oranienbaum Tolypothrix was met with in some quantity, forming floating ball-shaped masses. By the end of July some excursions to the environs of Hapsal led to the discovery of the interesting Phcepspore, which up to this had only once been found by Pringsheim at Heligoland, and called by him Streblonema; in Hapsal Bay it lived on Ruppia, several Charas, and in company on these with Ulothrix confervicola, which latter grew in great abundance on these plants and on Ctramia and other red aigss. It is interesting to note that along with marine forms there grew some of the fresh-water filamentous algae, such as Spirogyra, Zygnema, and in large quantities that half fresh-water species Monoitroma Balticum. Out in the bay towards the open sea the red algae increased in number, but the merging of the fresh-water forms into those of a truly marine type could be well studied in the Bay of Hapsal. Botanische Zeitung, February 20.)