AND GERMINATION OF ALGiE. 135 



fMraspores in the Floride(E, by the prolijications and propaga- 

 tive gemmulcs which are found in the Fucacece and the other 

 FxicoidecB, and by the zoospores which are widely distributed 

 among the marine and fresh-water AlgtB. The sexual function 

 is probably fulfilled in the Floridece by the cells of the anthe- 

 ridia and the conceptacular spores ; in the Fucacece certainly 

 by the sperm.atozoids and the contents of the so-termed 

 " spores ;" in the Conferva by spermatozoids and the contents 

 of the quiescent spores. 



The spores of the Fucoideoe and the quiescent spores of the 

 fresh xcater AlgcB, however, are properly spore-fruits (^spo- 

 rangia),, whose contents are fertilized sometimes within, some- 

 times without the sporangium. 



The Algce, moreover, are sometimes dicBcious — and this is 

 the case with the g-reater number — some mona;cious. The 

 individuals, lastly, which form the asexual organs of multipli- 

 cation are usually sexually sterile ; but at the same time in 

 their vegetative parts more strongly developed than the fertile ; 

 this holds good both of the individuals with tetraspores among 

 the Florideo?, as well as of the individuals of the fresh-water 

 Algce, which form zoospores. The latter condition, which has 

 as yet not been noticed, promises to afford much aid in the 

 classification of allied forms. 



On the Course of the Amyloid Degeneration. By Rudolph 

 ViRCHOW. (Abstracted from the Archiv. f. Patholog. Ana- 

 tomic und Physiologic. Bd. viii., p. 364.) 



In former communications on the subject of "amyloid degene- 

 ration" the Author was able to adduce, as instances of the 

 affection, besides the corpora amylacea in the nervous system, 

 only the waxy degeneration of the spleen, liver, and kidneys ; 

 but since then some more recent cases have afforded him the 

 opportunity of extending his researches, and of making, as he 

 thinks, a very important advance in the knowledge of the 

 remarkable changes included under the term. 



In all these cases there existed chronic, and very consider- 

 able disease in some part of the osseous system. Even in his 

 former communication, respecting the " waxy spleen," he had 

 noticed that it was especially in persons affected with chronic 

 disease of the bones that this form of degeneration of the 

 organ was presented, and he has since seen scarcely a single 

 case in which the same complication did not exist. This 

 frequent association cannot, he thinks, be explained except 

 upon the supposition that the disease in the bone exerts a 



