302 H. MARSHALL WARD. 



improbable that the protoplasm of the male and female organs 

 is at all similar. 



While we have reasons for believing that the mass of an 

 oosphere consists in the main of protoplasm such as occurs iu 

 any cell capable of growth, it would be absurd to suppose that 

 the protoplasm of the male element is of the same nature. 

 There is, moreover, strong evidence to support the opposite 

 view, that the protoplasm of the male and the essential proto- 

 plasm of the female differ extremely. 



Anyone who reads Strasburger's description of the process 

 of fertilization in the ferns,^ cannot fail to be struck with the pecu- 

 liar behaviour of the antherozoids as soon as they come within a 

 certain distance of the oosphere. It seems impossible to avoid 

 the inference that the oosphere in some way attracts the sper- 

 matozoids. A similar phenomenon is described by Juranyi in 

 the fertilization of CEdogouium,'^ where the relatively large 

 antherozoid forces its way through an aperture too small for 

 it, in order to reach the attracting oosphere. 



With such phenomena may be compared the case of Spiro- 

 gyra and other Conjugatse, where, as is well known, the 

 cells of filaments which are laid parallel to one another^ and 

 within a certain distance of one another, put forth conjugating 

 tubes which meet in the middle ; or neighbouring cells con- 

 jugate. 



In the Peronosporese, again, the oosphere appears not only 

 to attract the antheridium, but even to induce its formation 

 from a neighbouring hypha y^ and other cases may be cited, all 

 tending to show that some important difference exists between 

 the protoplasm of the two sexual organs. 



It does not concern us here to give any opinion on De Bary's 

 suggestion that profound chemical differences exist, and affect 

 the environment; or on Sach's recently expressed view* as to 

 the analogies between ferment actions and fertilisation. 



' ' Jahrb. f. wiss, Bofc.,' vii. 



- 'Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot.,' ix, 



^ De Bary, ' Beitr. zur Morph. und Pliys.,' iv. 



^ ' Vorlesungen iiber PflaDzenphysiologie,' p. 491^ 



