HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIF. 



85 



by a longitudinal partition. Then carefully look out 

 a stem bearing in the apex a quantity of differentiated 

 leaves in a circular tuft ; this is the perigoniicni, 

 amongst which we shall find the reproductive organs. 

 Pluck off a few of the leaves with a fine pair of 

 forceps, near the centre, and search for the antheridia 

 (Fig. 49, a), or a longitudinal section may be made ; 

 but I have found it far easier to point out the male 

 organs as directed above. The student must be 

 careful not to mistake the paraphyscs for the 



Fig. S3- — Futi i}-ia !iygro»ietricii, L. 



Fig. 54.— Moutli of Theca, showing peristome. 



antheridia ; the former are filiform structures, or 

 abortive leaves, the antheridia are on short sterns. 

 Place the antheridium beneath a higher power 

 (Fig. 50). It is seen to be a stalked sac, composed of 

 a layer of chlorophyll, bearing cells when young, but 

 they assume a reddish tint before bursting. They 

 are filled with very minute antherozoids. On another 

 stem, but taller than the last, will be found the 

 archegonia (Fig. 51). Make a section by holding the 

 stem betwixt the thumb and finger, and gently 

 pushing the razor from you, then float out the sections 



in a bowl of water, select a few, carefully spreading 

 them out with a needle on the slide, then search for 

 the atrhegonia. It consists of two portions, the 

 lower ovate (Fig. 51, a), and the upper, or neck, of 

 archegonium (Fig. 51, l>). The archegonium is 

 ruptured by the fertilised oosphere, often in such a 

 way that, while the lower part remains as a sheath, 

 the neck is elevated as a cap now known as the 

 calyptra (Fig. 53, a), on the top of the theca (Fig. 53, b) 

 or capsule. On the top of the theca is a small 

 lid, or operculum. When this is removed, the 

 mouth or stoma is seen surrounded by a beautiful 

 series of teeth called the peristome (Fig. 54) ; the stalk 

 supporting the theca is the seta (Fig. 53, c). Now 

 prepare a section of the theca. Fig. 52, a is the 

 columella, and Fig. 52, b the operculum, beneath 

 which is the peristome. When the spores germinate,, 

 it sends out a filiform body, known as the protenema^ 

 or proembryo, on which the young plant is developed. 

 The root hairs, which will be found at the base of the 

 stem (Fig. 53, (/), and which take the place of true 

 roots, are called rhizoids, play an important part in 

 the economy of these plants. Detached leaves of 

 the Funaria placed on moist soil, will produce the 

 protenema. 



J. F. R. 



ABOUT MOSQUITOS. 



I HAVE had my attention lately called to mos- 

 quitos in a practical way. On the 25th of 

 January, this year, during a short run to the Mediter- 

 ranean coast, I was bitten in quite cold weather at 

 Alassio by one. The venom was feeble, and the 

 swelling, with very slight irritation, lasted only two 

 or three days. There are several points of interest 

 about this insect pest on which light needs to be 

 thrown. I find that Dr. Hassal, in his book on San 

 Remo, denies that any poison is injected into the 

 wound made by the mosquito, and supposes that the 

 irritation is caused simply by the depth to which the 

 mouth or jaws penetrate. The ordinary opinion 

 among naturalists certainly has been that the insect 

 has the power of pouring into the wound a secretion 

 to make the blood flow more freely. Reaumur, 

 besides, saw the watery drop frequently on occasions 

 when his hand was bitten. And certainly the effects 

 of the bite on many persons seem to be unaccountable, 

 on the theory of the mere depth of the wound. A 

 friend's maid had her arm swollen so terribly that the 

 dress had to be cut to get it off. I have myself (at 

 Alexandria, in January, a good many years ago) 

 suffered pain and irritation which could not be 

 described by any word less strong than severe, and 

 the pain and irritation lasted seven or eight days. 

 My two companions were untouched, or, at least, 

 unhurt, though exposed in the same way as myself. 

 The famous General Gordon testifies to the intolerable 



