THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 10. OCTOBER 1858, 



XXIV. — On Fecundation in Eudorina elegans and Cryptoglena. 

 By H. J. Carter, Esq., H.C.S. Bombay. 



[With a Plate.] 



For the last four years, just about the end of May and beginning 

 of June, when the water in the tanks becomes very low, and is 

 reduced to two or three pools, or a shower of rain makes such 

 pools in those which are already dry, and when, in both instances, 

 a development of Euglena has taken place, I have seized these 

 opportunities, which are but of short duration, as the develop- 

 ment soon becomes expended, to study, not only the Euglence, 

 but Eudorina, Gonium, and Chlamydococcus, which all make 

 their appearance at the same time, more or less together, and in 

 such numbers as to give a deep-green tint to the water in which 

 they are generated. 



This year my attention has been more particularly directed to 

 Eudorina ; for in one pool I found it undergoing fecundation, 

 which being similar to that described by Dr. F. Cohn in Volvox 

 globator*, an account of it will serve not only to confirm what 

 that eminent Infusorialist has stated, but also to furnish a fresh 

 instance of this process in another and closely allied organism. 



Before, however, going to the fecundation, it is desirable that 

 we should trace the development of Eudorina up to this point ; 

 but not having been able to recognize this organism in its sim- 

 plest form, that is, as a solitary single cell, nor any stage of its 

 segmentation prior to the third degree of duplicative subdivision 

 (that is, into 16 cells, when the mother-coverings have dropped 

 off), I must begin from this period. 



At this time, which we will call the first stage, the Eudorina 



* Comptes Rendus, t. xliii. p. 1054, Nov. 24, 1856. 

 Ann. $ Mag, N. Hist, Ser.3. Vol. ii. 17 



