TRANSACTIONS 
OF 
THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
I. On the feces of the Ovulum in Avicennia. By the late WittiAM 
GnirreITH, Esq., F.L.S. &c. &c. Communicated by R. H. Sorry, Esq., 
F.R.S., L.S. &c. &c. 
Read November 19th, 1844. 
IN connexion with the development of the seed and embryo in Santalum 
and Osyris, the following account of the development of the same parts in 
Avicennia may not be altogether misplaced; for the placentation is almost 
precisely the same; the same posterior elongation of the embryo-sac takes 
place; and in all the embryo is, at least when matured, external to the nu- 
cleus or body of the ovulum. 
The ovula of Avicennia appear to me to be nucleary: they closely resemble 
in appearance the same bodies in Santalum, Osyris, Schepfia, Olax, Congea, 
&c. (Tas. I. figs. 1, 2.) 
The first change observed takes place in the central tissue of the ovulum, 
which appears to become of a denser nature than the rest, the density graduall y 
extending to near the apex of the ovulum, in which, at a period antecedent to 
fecundation, the embryo-sac will be found. This embryo-sac appeared in most 
instances to be a membranous sac with an enlarged apex or head, contained 
within the apex of the nucleus, and a subcylindrical body, extending backwards 
a short way to the termination of the dense central tissue, into which at this 
period a vascular fascicle is seen to be extended (Tan. I. figs. 3, 4.). 
“VOL. XX. B ! 
