SEXUALITY IN THE LOWEE CEYPTOGAMIA. 79 



Tamilie der Conjugaten," and particularly to the second chapter 

 " Ueber die Bedeutung der Copulation und ihre Verbreitung." 



Note. 



Since this report went to press we have seen a paper by SoUman 

 in the Botanische Zeitung for September 2, 1864, in which that 

 author professes to have discovered a true process of impregnation in 

 Nectria Lamyi, De Not. "Without venturing any opinion as to the 

 correctness of his observations, we append the conclusions with 

 which he sums them up. He says : — 



1. Nectria Lamyi has a manifest mycelium, out of which tlie 

 stroma is formed, and upon the latter the perithecia are developed. 



2. The perithecia consist of tlu-ee layers of cells. The innermost 

 layer is the fructifying layer. 



3. Upon this layer, in young perithecia, are situated the processes 

 which bear the spermatia, and which, after the sperm atia are sepa- 

 rated from them, become developed into paraphyses. 



4. The spermatia penetrate the fructifying layer, and reach 

 the cavity of the rudimentary asci, which are in process of deve- 

 lopment. 



5. In the double-walled asci eight cytoblasts originate, into 

 which the spermatia penetrate and amalgamate with their contents, 

 so as to form a uniform mass. 



6. After the penetration of the spermatia the cytoblast assumes 

 a visible smooth membrane, and becomes a spore capable of repro- 

 ducing the plant. 



7. The species of Nectria are hermaphrodite. 



8. The bodies supposed to be granules of protoplasm in the 

 young asci of Sphseriae, are the particles of disintegrated spermatia. 



9. They effect the impregnation of the spores. 



