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pair of iiuclei the axis is a( i-iiL^-lil aii^l(3s to the Icnj^lli (tf the embryo- 

 sac, and for the lower pair it is parallel to it. 



Before this last division has taken place, the embryo-sac is still 

 seen to be a single cell, as was ah'ead}- stated above; after this 

 division fonr cells, each with its nnclens, may be observed. It is of 

 course possible, since I have not seen the actual nuclear division, 

 that the latter is j)receded by a cell-division, in such a way, that 

 each cell contains a nucleus, and that afterwards each of these two 

 cells divides again, after its nucleus has divided. However this may 

 be, there are tinally four cells, which, it shoidd further be noticed, 

 are not separated by cell-walls — four naked protoplasts therefore. 

 Of these four two, the synergids, lie at the top, next to each other ; 

 then follow the other two, one under the other, the upper one of 

 the pair being the egg and the lower one all that remains of the 

 embryo-sac with the upper polar nucleus. 



Considering this lower cell tirst, we ol)serve, that it remains small 

 and that pretty soon its nucleus clumps to a little ball of chromatin, 

 in which structure can no longer be discerned ; often the antipodal 

 nucleus may be seen at the same time. In othei- cases no remnants 

 of it can be observed; I imagine I hat in such cases it has so far 

 degenerated, that it can no longer be rendered visible. Yet another 

 hypothesis might be suggested, namely, that these nuclei fuse like 

 two polar nuclei. I regard this, however, as extremely improbable, 

 for the very reason that the two nuclei are so clearly in a state of 

 degeneration. Indeed, all the rest of the embryo-sac does not come 

 to much; endosperm is not formed; the cell is still seen for some 

 time, until it disappears with the developing embryo. 



For some time the egg and the synergids undergo no further 

 changes, and are ready for fertilisation. This process I have only been 

 able to follow accurately in Mouirra jlmiatilis Auhl; in a few other 

 cases I found a young embryo, or sometimes pollen-grains, which 

 had germinated on the stigma and had developed pollen-tubes. In a 

 new species of ApliKUjla, still to I )e described, there occur, in addition 

 to the normal hermaphrodite tlowers, others, which have abortive 

 stamens, and which remain inside the closed spathella, at least as far 

 as I have been able to observe in the material at my disposal. 

 Whether the latter tlowers can also furnish ripe seeds, without ferti- 

 lisation, I camiot say, as they had not developed beyond the stage, 

 here described. In the numerous preparations of \arious Fodosteuiaceae 

 which 1 have examined, I found moreover many ovules, which 

 were degenerating at the above-mentiojied stage, evidently because 

 no fertilisation had taken [tlace. It seems to me, that the chance of 



