SHORT NOTES. 861 



Kusby ; 442 Persian plants, by Boiiimuller ; G44 Cryptogams, by 

 Beattie ; 200 Swiss Cryptogams, by Wartmann and Winter ; 50 

 Swiss Cryptogams, by Wartmann and Scheuk ; 185 Labrador 

 Mosses, by Waghorne ; 20G Labrador and Newfoundland Lichens, 

 by Waghorne ; 48 Florida Algje, by Curtiss ; 50 North American 

 Alg?e, by Collins, Holden, and Setchell ; 100 Alg;B, by Hauck and 

 Eichter ; 25 Chdna-ccr, by Migula, Sydow, and Wahlstedt ; 350 

 Fungi, by Sydow ; 1G3 Mecklenburg Fungi, by Fiedler ; 200 Scandi- 

 navian Fungi, by Eomell ; 1000 Fungi, by Ellis and Everhart ; 

 25 Parasitic Fungi, by Briosi and Cavara; 50 Lombardy Fungi, by 

 Cavara ; 50 Kussian Fungi, by Jaczewski, Komarov, and Tranz- 

 schel ; and 100 Fungi, by Krieger. 



SHOUT NOTES. 



Mobility of Antherozoids of Dictyota and Taonia. — While 

 working at the fertilization of the Fucaccic last summer, I collected 

 male and female plants of Victyota dichotuma Lamx., and carried 

 out experiments with the view of deciding whether there was a 

 process of fertilization in this case, or merely of parthenogenesis. 

 On one occasion the so-called spcrmatia, or pollmouls, were observed 

 in active motion, their behaviour being similar in all respects to 

 that of the antherozoids of the Fitcacece, excepting that they came 

 to rest much sooner. This phenomenon was seen late in September, 

 towards the close of the fruiting season of Dictyota, and in conse- 

 quence of the lateness of the season I was unable to observe it again. 

 Though strongly urged to publish the observation, I thought it 

 better to wait until ample proofs were secured before doing so. 

 They have now been obtained, and experiments made during the 

 present month (August) have confirmed in every respect the con- 

 clusions arrived at last September. Male plants of Dictyota with 

 mature antheridia obtained at Holyhead were carefully isolated at 

 the time of collection, and kept moist. In the laboratory, fragments 

 were placed in clean sea-water, either in glass capsules or on slides. 

 In each case the antherozoids immediately appeared, swarming in 

 the water and exhibiting as great activity as those of Fnctis. On 

 focussing the microscope on the surface of a sorus the antherozoids 

 could clearly be distinguished starting into activity and leaving the 

 antheridia. Specimens were fixed and stained. Tliese show clearly 

 the structure of the bodies and cilia of the spermatozoids, and in 

 this respect a striking difference is at once observable between them 

 and those of the Fucaci'cc. Details respecting tliese points, observa- 

 tions on the conditions affecting their maturation, liberation, and 

 mobility, together with the results of experiments on the fertilization 

 and germination of the oospheres, will be published at an early date. 

 While this work was in progress, antheridial plants of Taonia 

 aiomaria J. Ag. were collected at Llandudno, and treated in the 

 same manner as Dictyota. In this case also the antherozoids were 

 actively motile. It is evident that the above observations have an 



