64 THE NATURA-L HISTORT RETIEW. 



IX. — Eepoet on Sexuality in the Lower CEXPToaAMiA. 



It was at first intended in this Eeport to have recapitulated the 

 principal discoveries with regard to sexuality in the Cryptogamia 

 generally ; but two reasons suggested themselves against the adoption 

 of this course : — one was the great length to which the report must 

 have been extended ; but the other and principal reason was, that the 

 main facts with regard to the sexuality of the Higher Cryptogamia 

 are already accessible to the English reader in the Eeport of the late 

 Professor Henfrey to the British Association in the year 1851, and 

 in the translation of Dr. Hofmeister's Treatise on the Higher Crypto- 

 gamia, published by the Eay Society in 1862. 



This Eeport has, therefore, been limited to what are usually 

 styled the Lower Cryptogamia, viz., the Lichens, Fungi and Algae. 



The Lichens may be disposed of in a few words — for our know- 

 ledge as to their sexuality may really be said to be nil. The function 

 of the small bodies called *' speronatia,^ (which are so very generally 

 present in special conceptacles on the thalli of Lichens), does not 

 appear to be fecundative as has been supposed by some botanists ; 

 and the notion of their being male organs is now, we believe, very 

 generally abandoned, although Dr. Stitzenberger, in the Eatisbon 

 Flora for 1862, speaks of them as " mannliche Befruchtungsorgane." 

 "We must, however, mention Karsten's recent statements with 

 regard to Coenogonium Andini. 



At the end of his essay on Parthenogenesisare to be found some 

 observations on the development of the apothecia in that Lichen, 

 which, if correct, would show that the latter originate in a free cen- 

 tral cell, contained in an organ similar to the archegonia of the 

 higher cryptogams. This central cell he states to be impregnated in 

 a manner almost exactly similar to what occurs in ColeocJicBte and 

 Saprolegnia amongst the Algse. If Karsten's observations were to 

 be relied upon, the problem of sexuality in the Lichens would have 

 been solved, for it could hardly be doubted that what was alleged to 

 have been seen in Ccenogonium would speedily have been discovered 

 in other Lichens, when observers were put upon the track. Kar- 

 sten's observations, however, have not been confirmed by any other 

 botanist ; and Dr. Schwendener, in the Flora for 1862, meets them 

 with a positive contradiction. We have not space to give more than 

 Dr. Schwendener's concluding remarks ; but he says : " Whether the 



