112 POND LIFE. 



two prominences, which grow gradually larger, until finally 

 each becomes as large as the original half of the cell (Fig. 13); 

 so that instead of one creature there are two. But these plants 

 can reproduce their kind in another way. Two of them, each 

 consisting of two similar halves open a little and a very thin 

 portion of the internal green matter projects out (Figs. 16, 17). 

 These two projections gradually meet, and form a peculiar round 

 mass in the centre ; and around it may be seen the four halves of 

 the two original Desmids, each of which shows a hole out of 

 which all the contents of the cell has come (Fig. 18). This 

 round, green globule, with its protecting husk, now remains for 

 some time, after which it starts afresh and produces a new plant 

 like the parent. So that we have here also two means of repro- 

 duction : one of them by dividing across in the middle line, and 

 the other by two individuals joining together, and producing a 

 kind of spore. 



Now, there is just one more instance that I should like to bring 

 before you, and that is a plant which goes by the name of (Edo- 

 gonhmi (Fig. 12). It grows generally upon some other plant, and 

 it will be seen that it consists of small cells, one of which forms a 

 kind of root, and the others form the stem; there are no branches, 

 but there is a long hair at the top. When the plant grows a 

 little, a large round Cell forms here and there in it. To 

 this becomes attached a minute cell, shaped like an urn, having a 

 curious lid upon it ; by-and-by the lid comes off, the 

 contained substance passes through a hole formed on the top of 

 the large round cell. The protoplasm of the two cells mixes 

 together, and forms a kind of spore inside the large cell which 

 remains for a while, and then gives rise to a new plant or plants, 

 going through the same process. So that here the same 

 process which we have seen before, takes place, but in a modified 

 fashion. Instead of two individuals uniting to produce a spore, 

 we have a large round cell, and a small urn-shaped one, and the 

 result is a plant just like the original. These are some of the 

 most interesting of the lower plants found in ponds, and I have 

 brought them under your notice, not simply because they are 

 interesting and curious in themselves, but because they illustrate 

 general laws which run through the whole animal and vegetable 



