HICKS, ON GONIDIA OF LICIIICXS. 17 



stances continuing the same, proceed in the same direction for 

 an unlimited time. 



Mingled with the above, we find some large ceils, gene- 

 rally globular, sometimes however oval (mother cells), with- 

 out any mucous coat, which contain a number of very small, 

 green cells (fig. 8, h, c). When these are set free by the 

 bursting open of the mother cell- Avail, they gradually become 

 surrounded with a mucous envelope, and then appear as the 

 other Gleocapsa-forms above noticed. These may produce 

 ultimately mother cells, or may go on to any of the other 

 forms. They are shown at fig. 8, d, fig. 9, b, in diff'erent 

 conditions of growth. The oval mother cells sometimes are 

 developed early, as seen at fig. 5, b. They may be solitarj^, 

 as fig. 11, b, enveloped with a mucous layer, or even two 

 layers, as at fig. 11, c; or combined within a common enve- 

 lope, in groups of from two to twelve, or even more, as 

 shown at fig. 9, a. The contents of these cells, on dispersion, 

 become like those of the naked, round mother cells at 

 fig. 8, 5. 



When the soridia undergoing this transformation are 

 placed in water, the mucous envelope becomes much increased 

 in diameter, the cells become more numerous and smaller, 

 and assume the appearance of Hamatococcus alpestris {frus- 

 tndosus, Hassall (fig. 15). It proceeds sometimes to such 

 extreme division that the process seems almost indefinite, 

 and the results resemble HcBmatococcus theriacus and minu- 

 tissimus, Hass. (fig. 16, a). Segmentation here goes on in 

 various ways, as seen in figs. 15, 16. The proportion the 

 mucous coat bears to the cell is exceedingly variable, as 

 shown in fig. 15. 



Another result of this process is the formation of a gi'oup 

 of large, oval cells, precisely similar to Pahnoglcea, Kvitziug 

 [Cylindrocystis, Meagh., Coccochloris, Hass.), each of them 

 being surrounded by a mucous layer. At first, they are con- 

 tained in a common, firm mucous envelope, of a purplish- 

 brown colour, Avhich, at first, extends between the various 

 cells, as shown at fig. 12. The groups vary in number, from 

 two to sixteen, or perhaps more. After a time, the outer 

 purple coating breaks up, or dissolves away, and the con- 

 tained Pabnofflcea escape, and segmentation proceeds as in 

 the above eases (fig. 14, b, b). 



Each of the oval cells contains one or two distinct nuclei, 

 as in Palmoglcea Brc'bissonii. After they have remained in 

 water some time they assume the appearance represented at 

 fig. 13, a, b, c, where the chlorophyll contents have acquired a 

 round form, but of smaller size. These cells agree in every 



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