38 Mr. H. J. Carter an Abnormal Development in CEdogonium. 



we not infer, that, under certain circumstances, this is a common 

 termination of all protoplasms, both animal and vegetable ? 



It remains for me only to add here, that there is no difficulty 

 whatever in making the foregoing observations, if the months 

 in which the sporing of CEdogonium takes place, and the places 

 where it has previously grown, be ascertained. One or two 

 sporing filaments are not sufficient — the whole mass must be in 

 this state ; and then, if a portion be covered with a thin piece 

 of glass, and supplied with water, the spermatozoids will after a 

 short time leave their cells ; and by choosing filaments with 

 recently formed spores for observation, they will be seen to 

 assemble round them. One filament will frequently afibrd a 

 series of resting-spores in all stages of development, and may 

 contain half a dozen with spermatozoids trying to enter them. 

 The abnormal growth will be observed abundantly at the same 

 time. 



P.S. — Since the above was written, I have been able to deter- 

 mine the CEdogonium which is accompanied by the Thecamona- 

 dien, or rather, zoospore, whose brown rim (or a colour exactly 

 like it) is found round the young plants of this species. It is 

 monoecious, and having only one male or annular cell, afibrds 

 another instance of the value of this specific character. Its 

 description, so far as the scanty means left at my disposal, now 

 the sporing has passed, admit of, may stand as follows : — 



CEdogonium monandronites, H. J. C. (nov. sp. ?) 



Filaments the same generally as those of CE. diandronites, but a 

 little less in size. Ordinary cells 3-5 times longer than broad. 

 Spore-cell the same as in the species just mentioned, but a 

 little more compressed laterally; indicated also, in the un- 

 inflated state, by the presence of annular striae at the upper 

 end ; spore spherical at first, afterwards oblong. Male cell 

 single, and situated here and there between every 1-5 ordi- 

 nary cells. Width of filament about g^^rd of an inch ; dia- 

 meter of spore j^Q y spermatozoid unseen. 



Hab. Floating with Spirogyra in the freshwater tanks of the 

 Island of Bombay. Sporing in August and September. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IIL 



N.B. — Figures 1-4 inclusive are drawn on a scale of l-24th to 1 -5600th 

 of an inch, and the rest very near this ; fig. 16 only is much more magni- 

 fied, to show the cilia of the spermatozoid. 



Fig.l. CEdogonium dioicum, H. J. C. (nov. sp. ?) Female filament: 

 a, spore-cell previous to the formation of the micropyle and 

 resting-spore ; h, ditto after their formation ; c, c, c, various forms 



