Mr. H. J. Carter on the Seed-like Body of Spongilla. 331 



very advanced age. Up to his latest years Robert Brown en- 

 joyed unusual activity, and that wonderfully acute sight which 

 formed part of his nature. He died on the 10th of June, 1858, 

 in the full possession of an unclouded intellect, in the calm 

 serenity of those happy ones whom we may even here account 

 among the immortal. On the 15th of June his remains were 

 consigned to the earth, surrounded by Australian flowers, at 

 Kensal Green Cemetery, where his friends and colleagues, 

 Charles Konig, David Don, Menzies, and Wallich, were at rest* 

 The marble-like bust of the departed displayed to his friends once 

 more (so writes one of the oldest of them), refined to a surprising 

 beauty, in his delicately but strongly marked features, the ex- 

 alted image of a profoundly inquiring spirit tranquilly reposing. 

 [' He died,-'^ so continues Dr. Boott, ^' in the quiet scene of his 

 long and celebrated labours, where the library of Sir Joseph 

 Banks formerly lined the walls. Forty years ago I had first 

 become acquainted with him in that very place ; and ever had he 

 remained the same true, plain, sincere, gentle, good-hearted 

 man. The only change was that which Time works in us all/' 



XXXIV.-r— Otj the Identity in Structure and Composition of the 

 so-called Seed-like Body o/ Spongilla with the Winter-egg of the 

 Bryozoa; and the presence of Starch-granules in each. By 

 H. J. Carter, Esq., Bombay. 



[With a Plate.] 



Ever since the Spongiadse have been studied, it has been a 

 desideratum to find out something directly connecting them with 

 either one or the other of the great organic kingdoms ; and lat- 

 terly, since they have been proved, by their resemblances, habits, 

 and composition, to belong to the animal kingdom, the great 

 object has been to find out something in them directly connec- 

 tive with one of its lower types; for until this be done, zoolo- 

 gists will continue to look upon them strangely, and botanists 

 will of course have nothing to do with them whatever. More- 

 over, until a homological leading-point with animals be esta- 

 blished in them, the nomenclature that should be adopted for 

 their component parts cannot be chosen, since in many of these 

 they resemble plants and animals respectively so much, that it 

 is difficult to decide whether the part should be named according 

 to the nomenclature of one or the other. Thus the reproductive 

 bodies have been called by some " ovules,^' by others " sporidia,'' 

 " sporangia ;'' and a third class, to avoid falling into either mis- 

 take, have called them "capsules," "spherulse," "seed-like 

 bodies," &c. The latter term I myself have chiefly used; but 



