PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 81 
very peculiar modification of the moneecious type, being in detail 
different from that presented by any other form described. 
The present plant seems beyond doubt to be a new species, and 
to belong to one of the two genera Saprolegnia or Achlya. Gene 
rically considered, Mr. Archer was inclined to regard the present 
plant as a species of Saprolegnia. As is well known, the generic 
characters in this family depend on the mode of formation and 
evolution of the zoospores ; and perhaps the doubts as regards the 
present plant may probably be due to its not having been ex- 
amined sufficiently early, after having been taken, to gain a good 
insight into the characters presented in that stage. But in the 
absence of knowledge derived from having actually seen the 
zoospores, the reason for leaning to the genus Saprolegnia was, 
that in one instance were observed, in the mass of the plant, 
three seeming sporangia evacuated by zoospores, one within the 
other, each showing a terminal opening—for so far characteristic 
of Saprolegnia. 
Setting aside, however, the generic characters drawn from the 
mode of evolution of the zoospores, this plant is specifically cha- 
racterised (it is believed from any other Saprolegniaceous plant 
yet described) by its true fructification in the following manner : 
Saprolegnia (?) androgyna, sp. nov. 
Oogonia large, barrel-shaped or elliptic, mostly in an uninter- 
rupted terminal series, though occasionally interstitial; the 
terminal oogonium the oldest in a series, the oogonia thus 
showing gradually different degrees of development down to the 
basal one, which is the youngest; the lateral male branchlets 
(Nebeniaste, Pringsheim), with the exception of those appertaining 
to the lowest oogonium of a series, are not derived either from 
the principal stem of the plant or from any neighbouring portion 
of the general plant, but these are given off from the oogonium 
itself, which is immediately beneath the oogonium which is 
fertilized by them, and so on down to the basal oogonium of a 
series, to which are given off lateral male branchlets from the 
filament or stem itself immediately thereunder; the tube or 
cavity of each lateral male branchlet becomes shut off by a 
septum formed a short distance above its origin, the portion of 
the contents of the branchlets above the septum being the male 
element and developed into spermatozoids, that below the septum 
retaining its characters and becoming returned back into the 
oogonium, whence it originated in time to take part in the forma- 
tion, with the remainder of the contents, of the oospores. Oospores 
large, about 4,th of an inch in diameter, mostly numerous, but 
very variable in number; sometimes, however, though very rarely, 
as few as even one; occasionally exhibiting what appeared to be 
a roundish excentric vacuole. The whole plant large and coarse 
as compared with other described forms in this family. 
If thus, for illustration’s sake, we call the upper (mostly 
terminal) oogonium A, that beneath it B, and that beneath the 
latter C, and so on down, let us suppose, to G, then oogonium A 
VOL. VIIL—NEW SER. F 
