IN FLOWERING PLANTS. 219 
covered the grand secret of the vivification of the ovulum, 
and that these in fact were the spermatic granules proceeding 
to their destination. But I was immediately convinced that 
they were by far too large for these granules, and on per- 
ceiving, vast quantities of small raphides floating about in 
the water in which the object was placed, my second im- 
- pression was that they were fascicles of raphides. The truth 
of this impression, was soon proved on dissecting one of 
the funicula, I soon detached the apparent granules, which 
separated into a number of raphides on reaching the water. 
These raphides differ in no respect from the ordinary form ; 
they are fasciculated, as I believe they always are, but ap- 
pear to be rather smaller than is usually the case. "Their dis- 
covery in such an unusual situation induced me to examine 
them more closely. On inspecting the more advanced ovula, 
I saw that their interior was partly occupied by these fasci- 
cles, which seemed more plentiful towards the apex of the ovu- 
lum. I also found that in the long fimbriated ovula, when the 
form of the nucleus or tegmen was sufficiently defined, that 
they were no longer to be found in the funiculus, and that 
they had reached their destination, I suppose by passing 
through the foramen, which is situated near the hilum. On 
making a longitudinal section of an ovulum at the same 
stage of advancement, I found that the central and larger 
mass was homogeneous, the surface of the section being scat- 
tered over with detached raphides. On making a longitudinal 
double section of the ovarium, I thought I perceived a fascicle 
or two proceeding down the lesser conductor, occupying the 
central part of the style, many could be seen passing up to 
the two glandular bodies attached to the calyx. Very few 
were present in the placentary tissue, most of the ovula were 
filled with them, and at the exsertion of the funiculus in one 
or two cases, facicles were crowded as if trying for admittance. 
I observed one abortive ovulum, and what is very remarkable, 
this had only one or two fascicles about midway. I am of opi- 
nion, that on examining a much younger placenta, the fascicles 
will be found exclusively in it and inclined to the direction 
of each ovulum. On examining an ovarium in which the car- 

