INVERTEBRATA, CRYPTOGAMIA, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 107 



anastomosing cords. Continuing the same method, a multitude of 

 nuclei from 5 /7. to G yu, in diameter were observed in every part of the 

 body. 



These instances, taken from such different organisms, prove the 

 multinucleated state to be much more wide-spread than has been 

 believed ; and the author is persuaded that many more cases will be 

 added. 



As to the morphological signification of the facts, it is difficult to 

 adopt Ed. Van Beneden's opinion, that these numerous organs are 

 only simple fragments of a primitive nucleus ; for they are capable 

 of dividing, passing through the complicated series of phenomena 

 which recent researches have I'evealed in the division of the nuclei 

 of animal and vegetable cells. If, on the contrary, we admit with 

 Haeckel that these organisms are composed of cells, distinct by their 

 nuclei, but fused together by their sarcodic body, we shall have an 

 intermediate structm-e, establishing the transition between imicellular 

 and polycellular beings ; and we might say with Huxley * that the 

 multinucleate Infusoria closely approach the lowest forms of Turbel- 

 laria. But the grave objection presents itself, that in what we know 

 of the life-history of these multinucleated organisms we see no trace 

 of the differentiations and localizations of function which characterize 

 the simi^lest Metazoa. They always behave as simple cells, in which 

 all the parts are homodynamous. 



The author thinks that his observations indicate the direction for 

 research to fill up the hiatus between the Protozoa and Metazoa. 



BOTANY. 



A. GENERAL, including Embryology and Histology 

 of the Phanerogamia. 



Development of the Embryo-sac. t — M. Vesque's latest communi- 

 cation on this subject is mainly coufirmatoi'y of the previous remark- 

 able observations of himself | and Professor Warming, of the formation 

 and subsequent disappearance of thick collenchymatous division- 

 walls in the "primordial mother-cell" of the embryo-sac, in conse- 

 quence of which the cells tlius formed are compared by Warming to 

 the mother-cells of the pollen of i)hanerogams and the spores of vas- 

 cular cryptogams. To this Yesque adds the probable homology that 

 tho germinal vesicles and antipodal cells correspond to the spores 

 and pollen-grains; the other cells, with inidivided nucleus, the auti- 

 clinals, to special mother-cells arrested in their development. In 

 tho present paper he details the result of tlie special examination, on 

 these points, oi 2)hiuts taken from a lai'ge number of natural orders. 



The fcdlowing is his method of observation and i)reparation. 



The practice, until qiiito recently, was to detach the embryo-sac 

 from the integuments of tho ovule, and even from tho surrounding 



* ' A Manual of the Anatomy of Invcrtcbratcd Animals,' 1877, p. C78. 

 t 'Ann. Sci. Nat.,' viii. (1879) p. 261. 

 X Soc thia Journal, ii. (187:») p. 903. 



