54 



TRANSLATIONS. 



On the Chronjspores, or ChronizoosporeSj of Hydrodic- 



TYON, and on some Analogous Reproductive Bodies. 



By M. N. Pringsheim. 



(rrom 'Ann. d. Sc. Nat.,' IVme Ser., t. xiv, p. 52. Originally piiblislied 

 in German in Bericht der Ak. d. Wissenscliaft. zu Berlin, 1860.) 



The observations of A. Braun and Gustave Thuret^ de- 

 monstrate that in many families, both of marine and fresh 

 water algse;, the same plant may possess at the same time two 

 kinds of zoospores^ of different dimensions. 



These two forms of zoospores evidently exist in the 

 (Edogoniaese and Saprolegniese, and the relations which I 

 have indicated between the existence of similar reproductive 

 bodies and the sex of the parent plant, appear to me to 

 throw considerable light on the morphology and the entire 

 history of these interesting algse. It may certainly thence be 

 conceived how important it is to study with care the morpho- 

 logical value of these bodies in the other orders of hydro- 

 phytes, furnished with two kinds of zoospores ; for, doubtless, 

 by this method of research, we should be able to fill up some 

 important gaps in the history of the development of many 

 genera or species, which we can no longer flatter ourselves are 

 well understood, since algology has been enriched by so many 

 new facts. 



It was under the inspiration of this idea that I undertook 

 a series of researches upon the zoospores (Schwarmsporen- 

 Keimlinge) of the algse, the results of which, as regards Hy- 

 drodictyon and some analogous algse, form the subject of the 

 present paper. The zoospores of these plants behave in a 

 manner hitherto unknown, and this first discovery promises 

 many others to those who will pursue their investigations in 

 the direction that I have marked out. 



Zoospores, so far as science has hitherto shown, have this 

 in common, that they germinate as soon as they cease 

 moving, and, consequently, very shortly after they are set at 



