178 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



the main stem magnified 100 diameters. The round bodies on 

 Figure 2 are called favellse (honeycombs) and consist of groups 

 of spores covered with, a thin gellatinous membrane. One of 

 them, enlarged to 200 diameters may be seen in Figure 4, in 

 which appear the four spores (hence called "tetraspore"). Fig- 

 " ure 5 is a spore receptacle called a 'ceramidium." Figure 6 shows 

 how fruit sometimes originates from a special modification of 

 stunted branches. These spores are believed by some to be non- 

 sexual and to need no fertilizing. If they thus grow to be 

 plants without the aid of any sexual organs, they illustrate one 



of the lowest forms of vegetable life. Of much interest also is 

 this metamorphosis of branches into fruit-bearing organs — a 

 very unnatural procedure, we should say. Two forms of fruit 

 are produced by these two different means. 



These sea-weeds grow in deeper water than other sea-weeds 

 and often they exhibit the richest of tints. They should be 

 looked for by every one who has access to the sea coast. The 

 red color is due to a pigment and it has sometimes been sepa- 

 rated out in the form of beautiful regular Crystals. For further 

 information, see Carpenter, pp. 559-561. 



