Mr. Hassall's Notices of British Freshwater Conferva. 435 



and the specimens I sent from Ilfracombe, V. princeps, were 

 an example of its truth. Subsequently to calling your atten- 

 tion to the vegetating spores, I found these to elongate and 

 divide into two joints, the rudiments of the filaments, but I 

 cannot agree when you consider the Sphceroplea to have spores 

 similar to those of the Vesiculaspermce. In the Conjugates and 

 Vesiculaspermce, the mass as it approaches to maturity becomes 

 denser and appears of a more homogeneous texture. In Sphce- 

 roplea, on the contrary, the granules are larger and more di- 

 stinct in its advanced state, and my experience distinctly 

 proves these granules to separate and move about with a very 

 rapid motion resembling that of animals. This motion I first 

 had an opportunity of seeing in Draparnaldia tenuis, and 

 found it to agree with Agardh's description in all respects, 

 excepting that I did not see them rupture the cells to escape. 



" At Ilfracombe in June last, for the first time, I gathered 

 Sphceroplea crispa, and examining the specimens within a few 

 minutes after they were gathered, I perceived to my surprise 

 some of the round masses, after escaping from the top of the 

 filaments, separate into several largish granules, of which each 

 of these masses was composed, and these then to dart about 

 with rapid motion ; and in order to have witnesses, I called up 

 the people of the house were I was lodging and told them to 

 look into the microscope and tell me what they saw, and they 

 said that numerous minute insects were darting about amongst 

 the filaments of the plant. On my mentioning the circum- 

 stance to Mr. Borrer, he informed me that many years ago he 

 had observed the same thing to take place in the Conferva 

 bicolor, and that Mr. Dillwyn, on his relating it to him, said 

 that he supposed c the plant had taken physic for worms ; 3 and 

 this tended to confirm me in the opinion of the identity of 

 Sphceroplea crispa with the Conferva bicolor of e English Bo- 

 tany \ 



" Subsequently on gathering the plant at Dolgelly, I ob- 

 served the granules, which are slightly angular, move, but only 

 slowly, and a few days after, w 7 hen I gathered some in order to 

 show the motion of the granules to my friend the Rev. T. Sal- 

 wey, I was unable to detect any motion at all." 



In a second communication Mr. Ralfs further observes, " I 

 omitted in my last to give Mr. Berkeley as another observer 

 of the motion, &c. of the granules in Sphceroplea crispa. When 

 I found it at Ilfracombe I immediately sent off a specimen to 

 Mr. Berkeley, and it was not until the next day that I disco- 

 vered the activity of the granules, of which I the same day 

 informed Mr. Borrer on sending him a specimen. Some time 

 afterwards I received an answer from Mr. Berkeley with 



