$14 QUARTERLY CHRONICLE OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE, 
has found the antherozoids, but the female organs have not as 
yet been seen. ; 
SAPROLEGNIEH.—In these plants the antheridia effect the 
fertilization of the oogonia by a species of conjugation. If we 
may contrast Saprolegnia with Vaucherra amongst Oosporea, 
we have a parallel contrast ready to our hand amongst Zygo- 
sporee in Zygochytrium and Tetrachytrium already alluded 
to. And there is the same relation between fertilization by 
means of a so-called pollinodium and the conjugation of 
filamentous processes that there is between fertilization by 
means of antherozoids and the conjugation of zoospores. 
Braun (1851) first noticed } the “ pollinodia” (antheridia) 
of Saprolegnia, and compared them to the antheridia of Vaw- 
cheria. The oogonia were described by Schleiden, who simply 
regarded them as asexual “spherical sporangia” * But 
Pringsheim * in 1857 first ascertained, with any certainty, the 
real sexuality of the Saprolegniee. He made out the kind 
of conjugation which takes place between the antheridia and 
the oogonia in the moneecious species, and by which, instead of 
by the access of motile antherozoids, the oospheres are ferti- 
lized. Pringsheim thought that, notwithstanding the con- 
jugation, antherozoids were formed, and that in the dicecious 
forms, where no conjugation was possible, these antherozoids 
were really motile. Max Cornu (1872)* believes that in the 
forms in which conjugation is the rule motile antherozoids are 
not formed in the antheridium, but that this empties itself 
by an influx of its protoplasmic contents into the oogonium. 
The motile antherozoids which Pringsheim had described in 
the cases where conjugation did not occur, Max Cornu 
believes really to belong to a Chytridineous endophyte. He 
thinks that the antherozoids inthe dicecious species closely 
resemble the zoospores in appearance, and have been over- 
looked in consequence. In Monoblepharis the spermatozoids 
are half the size of the zoospores, but of the same form ; they 
creep with amceboid movements over the wall of the oogonium, 
and fertilize the oosphere by blending with it. 
The latest contribution to the history of this group is that 
of Pringsheim in the ninth volume of his ‘ Jahrbucher.’ He 
has modified his views, and proposes a very remarkable ex- 
planation of the sexual phenomena. Fertilization is always 
effected by antheridia ; when these are absent the oogonia 
develop without fertilization, and are therefore partheno- 
' See ‘ Rejuvenescence in Nature’ (Ray. Soc.), p. 298. 
«Principles of Scientific Bot.,’ p. 100. 
* « Jahrbucher,’ Pringsheim, pp. 289-305. 
* Max Cornu, ‘ Ann. des Sc. Nat.,’ 5e sér., tom. xv. 
