148 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



NOTE ON ASPLENIUM LANCEOLATUM 

 (SINELII). 



TO Mr. J. Sinel, of Bagot, Jersey, belongs the 

 honour of having first discovered and recog- 

 nised this pretty fern, which is exactly intermediate 

 between lanceolatum and microdon, and forms a 

 perfect connecting link between those forms. It 

 differs from microdon in having bipinnate fronds, 

 and from lanceolatum in its more stunted habit and 

 obtuse, finely and evenly serrated pinnae. For 

 some time, the var. microdon was supposed to be a 

 form of A. marinum ; how any one could for a moment 

 make this mistake, we are puzzled to tell. All the 

 above-mentioned forms are of a peculiar green, not 

 unlike that seen in the young herbage on a newly 

 mown hayfield ; only one other British species shows 

 the same colouring, A . viride. 



lanccolatuvi. 



bipinnate. 



pinnae linear, toothed. 



rachis flat, 

 sori oblong, near 

 margin. 



Sinelii. 



bipinnate. 



p. broadly ovate, 



serrate, 

 r. rounded, 

 s. oblong, in the centre 



of pinnules. 



microdon. 



pinnate, 

 margin dentate. 



r. winged. 

 s. £mall. 



Characters of A. lanceolatum (Sinelii). 



Fronds but few, from the crown of the root, 

 scaly below, free above, lanceolate in outline in the 

 young fronds, evidently broadly linear ; rachis round, 

 without the least appearance of raised marginal 

 wings ; bipinnate throughout, lower pinnae of three to 

 five pinnules, central of three distinctly stalked 

 pinnae in the old fronds. Pinnules rounded or obtuse 

 at the apex, evenly serrated, terminal cordate, lower 

 (or those nearest the rachis) orbicular, the teeth of 

 lower pinnules slightly mucronate. Sori oblong, 

 springing from midrib, numerous, white in early 

 fronds, dark brown when ripe. 



The entire habit of the fern is robust, though 

 dwarf, with a free growth, which will render it a 

 valuable acquisition to a window fern-case. 



Several roots have been found by Mr. Sinel on 

 old walls, near to Bagot, Jersey. Fronds have been 

 submitted to our best authorities on British Pteri- 

 dology ; all declare it to be a new and very distinct 

 variety. We have thus been induced to make it 

 known, so that it may be looked for in the south of 

 England. Jas. F. Robinson. 



THE EUGLENA VIRIDIS. 



IN Science-Gossip for August, 1879 (No. 176), 

 I hinted at a suspicion I then entertained of the 

 possibility of what is sometimes described as a variety 

 of Protococcus — the Euglena viridis — really being the 

 larvae of the common funnel rotifer {ITydatina scuta). 

 That suspicion had grown out of the results of 

 observed phenomena, and was strengthened by what 



was seemingly corroborative evidence from other 

 quarters. There still existed, however, an element 

 of doubtfulness about the matter which required 

 elimination. With a view, therefore, of clearing away 

 such uncertainty, if it were possible, I undertook a 

 series of observations, and pursued them with as 

 much continuity as circumstances would permit. 

 And, in order the more fully and completely to solve 

 the doubt, I obtained samples of Euglena: from 

 different localities, separated from each other in some 

 cases by many miles. 



The first conclusion to which the results of my 

 observations lead me is, that the bulbous termination 

 of the flagellum is not an accidental appendage ; but 

 is really co-existent with the flagellum itself. It is 

 true, its visibility varies in different specimens ; some- 

 times being clearly discernible with a power of 

 200 linear ; at others, needing an enlargement of 

 about 500 linear, careful adjustment of the achro- 

 matic condenser, and no little " coaxing" to make it 

 at all apparent. Nevertheless, I have always suc- 

 ceeded in discovering the bulb whenever the flagellum 

 has been present. Sometimes, however, the flagellum 

 itself is absent, without apparently causing the little 

 organism any inconvenience. 



The second conclusion to which my observations 

 lead, is, that the Euglcna viridis does not develope 

 into the common funnel rotifer {Hydatina scuta), 

 but is an altogether independent organism. And, 

 although I have many times during my watchings 

 met with forms of Euglena identical in shape and 

 structure with those I figured in Science-Gossip last 

 August, yet the most patient and continuous watching 

 of them has not enabled me to trace that development 

 which I then supposed had occurred : the presence of 

 such large numbers of //. scnta as, after a time, showed 

 themselves in my gatherings of Euglena viridis last 

 year, being readily accounted for by supposing such 

 gatherings to have contained a quantity of undeveloped 

 ova of H. scuta which escaped detection, or were 

 overlooked until, owing to their gradual enlargement, 

 their presence could no longer be ignored. 



The internal structure of the Euglena is varied. 

 In some specimens an enlargement of nearly 600 linear 

 reveals a granular appearance (see No. 1 of Fig. 86) ; 

 whilst in other examples a very much lower power 

 shows a clearly defined cellular arrangement (see 

 Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of fig. 86). The head 

 is, in many cases, perfectly transparent and nearly 

 "structureless." In some instances, however, this 

 is not so ; there being a large number of cells in the 

 head (identical with those in other parts of the body), 

 the only really transparent portion being a small space 

 immediately surrounding the eyespot. The eyespot 

 itself is an irregularly shaped body, of a pale red 

 colour, and involved form. When the organism 

 bursts (which occurs some time after the still condi- 

 tion has been developed) and the spores issued forth 

 in swarms, the eyespot comes out intact, its investing 



