82 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
is fertilized by the lateral male branchlets emanating from and in 
direct continuation with B; the oogonium B is fertilized by the 
lateral male branchlets, in the same way, emanating from C, and 
so on down to F, which is fertilized by the male branchlets 
emanating from G; but G is itself fertilized by the lateral male 
branchlets emanating from the supporting stem, for G has no 
oogonium beneath. So in the whole chain of oogonia, the oospores 
in each, the lowest one excepted, are fertilized by the male 
elements derived from the branchlet given off by the oogonium 
immediately below; and the terminal oogonium does not, of 
course, give off any male branchlets—they would have no duty to 
do, no function to perform. The contents of the oogonia, which 
in their turn successively give off lateral male branchlets, do not 
become formed into oospores until the septa are duly formed in 
the branchlets, and until the granular contents beneath such 
septa become returned back into the oogonium in time to partici- 
pate in the formation of the oogonia. As takes place in other 
Saprolegnie, the whole contents become used up to form the 
oospores. 
This curious plant, then, Mr. Archer thought, presented an in- 
teresting example of a seeming confusion of parts with a mainte- 
nance of clear distinctness of function—a male-female or a female- 
male, yet male and female elements distinct per se. 
On looking at the plant at first sight, from what has been men- 
tioned, it will not appear surprising that it should have been 
momentarily taken as a gynandrosporous form, the lateral male 
branchlets, emanating from each oogonium and reaching up to 
the oogonium immediately above, looking not unlike dwarf male 
plants of independent origin seated on each oogonium; but a 
closer examination revealed their true nature, and proved that 
they were in direct continuation with the oogonium which had 
given them off, as it were, like the thumb to a glove. Mr. Archer 
had, indeed, at first spent some time in looking, but of course in 
vain, for the probable mother-cells of androspores ; but this was 
when he kad seen but a single specimen as yet, which did not 
show its true characters so distinctly as the numerous ones which 
afterwards presented themselves. 
Mr. Archer likewise exhibited some living examples of Supro- 
legnia monoica (Pringsh.) in fruit, showing the oogonia and lateral 
male branchlets. He drew attention to the specific characters 
distinguishing that form, as well as to its smaller and more slender 
habit, as compared with the new form now for the first time 
_,.. brought forward. 
Rev. E. O’Meara, A.M., exhibited beautiful examples of 
Navicula convexa, taken from seaweeds at Rostreyor. He re- 
marked on the prudence of searching the same localities again 
and again, however seemingly unproductive, for objects of value 
will sometimes be sure to reward perseverance. He had himself 
frequently made gatherings from this locality, and had never 
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