EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS. 149 



is the stomach. Then the brown flexuous oviducts again part, to join the tail. 

 Immediately behind the stomach is a vessel divided a little from right to left, 

 and which passes directly towards the left side; it is the ovary full of eggs. The 

 intestinal canal again appears near the tail. 



Such, says M. Miram, are the outward parts of the body ; I now pass to the 

 description of the internal organization of this remarkable Worm. In order to do 

 this with the more accuracy, I will begin with the organs which first present 

 themselves to sight, on removing the skin, such as the organs of motion ; after- 

 wards those of digestion, j then those of sensation, and, lastly those of genera- 

 tion. — Annales des Sciences Naturelles. 



[^Unless under extraordinary pressure of other matter, we shall make a point 

 of continuing the paper of which we have given our readers a glimpse, in future 

 and early numbers. — Editor.] 



BOTANY. 



2. On the Connection of the Cells of Plants. — This is an inaugural dis- 

 sertation by M. Mohl, written in German, and published in 1835. Our extract 

 is from the Bib. Un. de Gen. 



The earlier anatomists considered either the cellules or the vessels as cavities 

 acting in the midst of a homogeneous substance. This theory became inadmis- 

 sible after the works of Grew and Malpighi, the discovery of intercellular 

 passages, and that of a double coat wherever two cells meet. The existence of 

 vessels and cells, as distinct organs, was generally admitted; but the manner 

 in which these cells were united still remained a disputed point. The majority 

 of observers considered them to be intimately united to each other by their coats, 

 while others described an intermediate substance contained in the interstices. 

 Moldenhawer supposed he saw this substance in the form of a bundle of very 

 delicate fibres, surrounding each cell, and enveloping the whole like network ; but 

 no one has since been able to discern these pretended fibres. 



Agardh, in his Organographie (1831), mentions a mucous substance very 

 abundant in Algae, especially in the lower groups, where it forms the principal 

 element of the plant. The cells contained in this membrane collect it in their 

 interstices in proportion as they increase. Agardh believes this mucous sub- 

 stance to exist in the higher orders of vegetation, and that the cells are connected 

 by their edges, by the assistance of this same substance, hardened in the shape 

 of fibre. 



M. Mohl, in his Reckerckes sur les Troncs des Fougeres en Arbre (Researches 

 on the Stems of Arborescent Ferns j, and his work Sur le Pollen (On Pollen J y 

 is convinced of the existence of this mucous tissue, without, however, agreeing 

 with Agardh respecting details. He admits in his memoir : — 1st., that the 



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