-1X.] ABOUT MOSSES AND LICHENS. 149 
layer of green cells, which are capable, when set free, 
of giving rise to new individuals. These green cells 
are known as gouidia (fig. 113, G), and concerning 
them a humorous theory was promulgated a few 
years ago, but met with the ridicule it deserved. 
Professor Schwendener, the author of this theory, 
believed that these gouzdia were neither more nor 
less than a/g@—little plants allied to the protococcus 
described in Chapter I.—which had been captured by 
a fungus, and made to provide nutriment for their 
captor. But we will give the learned Professor’s own 
words :— 
“ As the result of my researches, all these growths 
are not simple plants—not individuals in the usual 
sense of the term; they are rather colonies, which 
consist of hundreds and thousands of individuals, of 
which, however, only one acts as master, while the 
others in perpetual captivity provide nourishment 
for themselves and their master. This master is a 
fungus of the order Ascomycetes, a parasite which is 
accustomed to live upon the work of others; its 
slaves are green algz, which it has sought out, or 
indeed caught hold of, and forced into its service. 
It surrounds them, as a spider does its prey, with a 
fibrous net of narrow meshes, which is gradually con- 
verted into an impenetrable covering. While, how- 
ever, the spider sucks its prey, and leaves it lying 
dead, the fungus, incites the algz taken in its net to 
more rapid activity ; nay, to more vigorous increase.” 
It is unnecessary here to state the facts which pre- 
vent the acceptance of this theory: we, in fact, should: 
not have thought it necessary to allude to the subject 
