108 MR. HENFREY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPORES 



cells of the pollen ; but the cases are very dissimilar, since in Marchcmtia these rows of 

 cells are produced from free tubular cells, in great numbers, after the dislocation of the 

 tissue of the cavity of the sporangium. 



About the time the cells separate from each other, the contents undergo a great change, 

 which exactly resembles the change that occurs in the contents of the parent-cells and 

 special-parent-cells of pollen when the formation of free cells is about to take place in 

 their interior. The mucilaginous matter, or protoplasm, which was at first almost colour- 

 less, acquires a deep yellow colour, becomes much thicker, and exhibits a quantity of 

 globular bodies which look like drops of oil. These globules are often described as gra- 

 nules, and some authors have mistaken them for drops of oil; others regard them as 

 vesicles or vesicular cavities in the protoplasm ; I believe them to be globular drops of the 

 yellow protoplasm ; they sometimes d ecome confluent, but are not oil, since they acquire 

 a brown colour, like the rest of the contents, with iodine, and are not dissolved by ether. 

 They may acquire the appearance of vesicles by becoming coagulated on the surface, as 

 this yellow protoplasm is readily coagulated even by water, but very strongly by alcohol 

 or acids. The cells become filled with globules of this kind of all sizes, sometimes occu- 

 pying half the cavity of the cell, but neither before nor after their formation did I meet 

 with nuclei. 



Soon after the cells become free, the yellow contents exhibit lighter streaks running 

 across, which denote that they are separating into four portions ; these are at length com- 

 pletely isolated and become coated by a proper membrane. They are the spores, and by 

 the solution of the membrane of the parent-cells they become free. When free the con- 

 tents become again clear and almost colourless, then the membrane becomes thickened 

 and of a bright yellow colour, and the contents are changed into globules of pretty regular 

 size which fill up the cavity. I never saw any trace of septa dividing the parent-cells into 

 chambers, such as we meet with in the special-parent-cells of pollen. When the parent- 

 cells in which the contents had parted into four portions were ruptured at one place, all 

 the contents passed out and the membrane remained as a simple sac. When iodine was 

 applied at the same stage, the portions were strongly coagulated, while the parent-cells 

 expanded, but no trace of septa appeared. 



Mohl states that the parent-cells of the spores of Anthoceros Icevis are first divided into 

 four chambers by septa, and that the same occurs in Jungermannia epiphylla, in the last of 

 which the parent-cell divides into four separate cells, each containing a spore ; which con- 

 dition Mirbel asserts to be universal in the formation of spores. I could find no evidence 

 of it ; and Gottsche says, with regard to Haplomitriwn Hookeri, that the empty parent- 

 cells present marks which make them look as if they were chambered, but that all the 

 spores pass out at one opening. It is quite possible that the enlarging spores cause the 

 marks by their pressure against the enclosing membrane. 



I could only distinguish a single coat to the ripe spore, and this grows out into a tube 

 at one point in geraiination. The entire spore with its contents becomes colourless 

 during this process, the yellow colour and the globules disappear, and after a short time 

 chlorophyll- vesicles appear, which, when iodine is applied, are seen to be imbedded in a 

 coagulable, colourless protoplasm. Mohl states that the spores of Anthoceros have two 



