52 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



of the leaves, or at the apex of the stem, but under 

 all circumstances of a common type. The antheridia 

 present themselves at first as cellular papillae, which 

 grow out and become converted into stalked club- 

 shaped, or at length almost globose bodies. At a 

 certain epoch this stalked sac becomes ruptured above, 

 and the contained cellules emerge. In the interior 

 of each of these is seen a spiral filament coiled up, 

 which soon breaks out of the cellule and exhibits 

 active rotatory motion. These spiral filaments are 

 the so-called spermatozoids. 



The archegonia are more variable. In Pellia they 

 grow out from the under side of the edge of the 

 frond, as a flask-shaped body, with an enclosed cel- 

 lule which, after impregnation, becomes developed 

 into the spore-bearing capsule. In the leafy species 

 they are similar flask-shaped bodies. In Riccia both 

 antheridia and archegonia originate very early, and 

 the parenchyma of the frond grows up around them 

 as they advance in development. Hofmeister states 

 that he has several times seen spermatozoids swim- 

 ming about the archegonia of species of J^inger- 

 mannia, when brought quickly under the microscope. 

 He also found at the mouths of archegonia, in other 

 species, more or less curled colourless filaments which 

 resembled spermatozoids, but were motionless. 



Elaters. 



Lindley, writing of the Hepaticde, observes that " a 

 remarkable point of structure in the liverworts is the 

 spiral filament, or elater, as it is called, lying among 



