RET. R. ABBAY Otf HEM I LEI A YASTATRIX. 179 



extremity by which they are attached to the sporange. The length 

 of the sporange varies somewhat from slightly less to slightly more 

 than *001 inch in length. (It may be noticed here that, as all the 

 measurements have been made by comparison with the length of 

 the sporange and not by means of a micrometer, there will be a 

 certain amount of inaccuracy attached to them.) On examining 

 the sporange under a high power, it is seen to be more or less filled 

 with dark-red granular matter, in wliich one or more globose 

 bodies with nuclei may be detected (PI. XIV- fig. 3). 



Sometimes a large semitransparent mass of protoplasm is seen 

 in the sporange. It appears to be quite structureless, and varies 

 very much in size and shape. In some cases the whole of the in- 

 terior of the sporanges is seen to be filled with granular matter 

 without a single spore amongst it. On placing the sporanges in 

 a drop of water between two slips of glass and subjecting them 

 to considerable pressure, the membrane becomes ruptured, and. 

 the spores make their escape. They are then found to have been 

 attached to the inner surface of the membrane in the manner 

 shown in PI. XIV. figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The attachment of the 

 spores to pieces of the ruptured sporange is manifest in PI. XIV. 

 figs. 7 and 8. These spores vary very much in size and number in 

 different sporanges. As many as fifteen may be counted inside 

 the sporange, and occasionally only one, but sometimes two or 

 three of much larger size are visible. The average size of the 

 spores is about -0001 inch in diameter, but they are frequently 

 three times larger. They appear to be perfectly smooth when 

 fresh ; but when quite mature and dry they are seen, under a 

 high power (such as T ^ inch), to be papillated. They swell con- 

 siderably with the addition of moisture ; but it is difficult to get 

 them out of the sporange unless it has been reduced to a very 

 dry condition, when a slight pressure will often rupture the mem- 

 brane and detach the spores from its surface. Within each of 

 these spores may be seen one or more semitransparent bodies or 

 nuclei (PL XIV. figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), and in some cases a nucleolus 

 within the nucleus (figs. 5 and 6). 



From the larger of the spores just mentioned there is reason to 

 believe that a number, generally about ten, of minute ovoid bodies 

 with a transparent nucleus, extremely like very small zoospores 

 except that they possess no power of motion, are expelled. I have 

 never observed these bodies actually issue from the large spore, 

 but I have seen them attached to the ruptured membrane as if 

 they had just been expelled. 



