314 Mr. Bisown's Observations on the 



or, as be terras it, in blossom. At this period he examined under 

 the microscope a transverse section of the capsule, in which, 

 as appears both from his description and figure, he found a 

 dense stratum of granular matter, which he considered to be 

 pollen, situated immediately within the inner membrane ; while 

 in the substance occupying the centre, which he describes as 

 reticulated, he observed scattered granules, in size and appear- 

 ance like those of the pollen already mentioned : these he 

 regards as the genuine seeds, and the containing organ he calls 

 the capsule. 



It is remarkable that he no where expressly states the manner 

 in which this capsule bursts : but it may be inferred, from the 

 use he assigns to the peristomium, that he supposes it to eject 

 its contents by the upper extremity : for, if the bursting were la- 

 teral, the seeds would at once come into contact with the pollen : 

 but though impregnation would in this way more certainly be 

 accomplished, the motions of the ciliee could no longer be con- 

 sidered as in any degree assisting it. 



Desirous to examine an object as nearly similar as possible to 

 that on which the hypothesis appears to be founded, I in the 

 first place made a transverse section of the full grown but green 

 capsule of Funaria hygrometrica ; and, I confess, was both sur- 

 prised and disappointed to find it, under the microscope, exactly 

 resembling M. Beauvois' figure [18]. But little reflection, how- 

 ever, was necessary to show that these scattered granules might 

 either have been forced into the pulpy central substance, by the 

 pressure necessarily applied to the stratum of pollen in making 

 the section, or, what is more probable, been carried over its surface 

 by the cutting instrument, which had previously passed through 

 this stratum. Accordingly, by repeated immersion in water, and 

 more readily still by the careful application of a small hair 



pencil. 



