122 ARCHER, ON SAPROLEGNIES, 
out by future observation, that some of these run through 
certain early stages upon house-flies, having, as is stated, 
actually commenced their growth in their blood, and that 
they perfect their development as Saprolegniee only on fall- 
ing accidentally into water, would merely show that here an 
“alternation of generation” may occur not less surprising 
than that which has been already established in other depart- 
ments. The same plants—forms which give rise to an eyi- 
dently fertilised oospore—again and again present themselves. 
These, I should hold, must have descended either directly or 
through whatever may be the characteristic intervening stages 
from a similar pre-existent plant. This would, at least, appear 
to me a more reasonable supposition than that any number of 
given germs evolved from the same parent form should, some 
of them, develop into one definite form, with a certain set of 
conditions, and that others should develop into some other 
equally definite forms with certain other sets of conditions. 
Hence, I think, when we meet with certain combinations 
of conditions, and certain specialities in figure, of the repro- 
ductive organs, not shown by known forms, we are justified 
in looking upon such as distinct species. The present forms, 
then, in themselves quite distinct, seem to demand a record. 
When I met with the first form to which I would draw 
attention (Plate VI, fig. 1), I was momentarily under the 
impression that I hade ncountered a gynandrosporous type of 
fructification in the Saprolegniez. ‘The existence of this type 
one might, @ priori, be disposed to believe likely, even were 
it not, indeed, all but directly proved by Pringsheim’s ob- 
servations.* But a closer inspection speedily proves, not only 
that there is here merely a superficial resemblance to the 
gynandrosporous type, but also, as will be seen, that the plant 
is truly monecious, though presenting what seems to be a 
sufficiently noteworthy modification of the structure in other 
described moneecious species. 
Beyond doubt, the present plant seems to be a very well- 
marked new species; but, as before mentioned, from not 
seeing the zoospore-condition, its generic location remains 
uncertain. However, I should be disposed to regard it as 
most probable that this plant, should it be again met with, 
may be found to appertain to the genus Saprolegnia. The 
reason for leaning to this genus is that, in one instance, in 
the mass made by the plant, three seeming sporangia evacu- 
ated by zoospores, one within the other, each showing a ter- 
* ¢ Jahrbicher fir wissenchaftliche Botanik,’ Band ii, p. 213, “ Nachtrage 
zur Morphologie der Saprolegnien.” 
