THE ANTHEROZOIDS IN ASTERELLA CALIFORNICA 377 
time of exposure was longer (about three times as long), perhaps 
because the antherozoids did not fall off the wet slide as they 
might from a dry one, perhaps because the breeze was gentler or 
different in direction, etc. The main thing is the occurrence of 
antherozoids on the slide under two sets of conditions very differ- 
ent from each other. The mechanics of expulsion cannot be such 
as I at first thought. 
Having proved that Aséerclla expels its antherozoids out of 
doors under natural conditions and not merely in the laboratory, 
I decided to bring plants in for further study. So many things 
may act as disturbing influences out of doors—the wind, rain, 
animals, etc.—that no satisfactory tests of the distances to which 
the antherozoids may be thrown are likely to be made out of doors 
without a great expenditure of time and trouble. I brought a con- 
siderable number of male plants of somewhat different ages into 
the laboratory, arranged them on a plate, fastened to the edge of 
the plate wires holding slides at different heights above the plants, 
and covered the whole with a bell-glass, first taking care that the 
plants were thoroughiy wet. On the afternoon of the following 
day I found a few antherozoids on one slide about seven centi- 
meters above the plants. On the morning of the next day but 
one there were grayish spots on three slides, five to seven centi- 
meters above the plants. These spots I feared were excrementi- 
tious matters from some insect but proved on examination to be 
extensive masses of antherozoids in the slime in which they are 
discharged. This slime consists presumably of the gelatinized 
walls of the mother-cells of the antherozoids together with 
whatever protoplasmic matters remain and degenerate in the 
mother-cells. The slime is very important in contributing to 
the expulsion of the antherozoids. 
I put the slides on higher holders and waited another twenty- 
four hours, again watering the plants before putting the bell-glass 
Over them. Much to my astonishment, on the following morn- 
ing, one of the slides, fourteen centimeters above the plants, had 
4 series of spots on it as shown in Fig. z. This figure is a trac- 
ing, moderately exact as to the shape and size of the spots and 
_ €Xact as to their number and arrangement, made on thin paper 
= from the stained preparation on the slide. These spots certainly 
