238 Dr. L. Kny on the Structure and 



My own investigations as yet relate only to a few species. 

 Nevertheless, to judge from the statements and pictorial re- 

 presentations contahied in the literature of the suhjcct, the 

 most important differences in the structure of the autlieridium 

 arc represented by them. In a short time I hope to.be able to 

 complete my observations upon most of the genera of Filices. 

 It scarcely needs to be mentioned that I have not obtained the 

 materials for my investigation from the impure cultivated 

 forms of the fern-houses, but that the sowings have been made 

 specially for my purposes, and carefully protected from foreign 

 interlopers. 



Aneimi'a Miia possesses antheridia which are remarkable 

 for their considerable size and simple structure. In the ma- 

 ture state (PL VI. fig. 5) they consist of a depressed cylindrical 

 stalk cell, a comparatively elevated annular cell set upon this, 

 in which no indication of a longitudinal septum is visible, and 

 a low opercular cell in the form of the segment of a sphere. 

 The inner cavity enclosed by the three cells is filled by the 

 special mother cells of the spermatozoids. 



On weakly ])rothallia growing very close together they 

 spring in about equal abundance from the underside of the 

 leafy surface and from the margin. In the last-mentioned 

 position their development is easily ascertained by the com- 

 parison of different stages. 



The youngest observed rudiments, which scarcely projected 

 as hemispheres above the margin (fig. 1), and in the fresh 

 state appeared to be uniformly filled w4th turbid proto])lasm, 

 p)roved, on closer examination, to be not only separated from 

 the marginal cell by a septum, but even already to consist of 

 three cells. The lower, peduncular cell, which is greatly 

 curved inwards, is bounded by two parallel walls, of which 

 the superior is the youngest. Upon tliis follows a watch- 

 glass-shaped septum curved outwards in a circle concentric 

 with the peripheral boundary of the peduncular cell, cutting 

 ofl' an inner cell of the form of a biconvex lens from a shallow 

 bell-shaped cell which covers it. Whilst the peduncular cell 

 scarcely becomes perceptibly elongated, the two other cells 

 both become strongly arched outwards. At the same time the 

 septum se})arating them long remains very delicate, so that it 

 eludes direct observation (fig. 2 a) ; when the prothallium is 

 treated with solution of ]iotash and muriatic acid, it makes its 

 a])pearance quite distinctly (fig. 2/-'). About the time when 

 the inner cell has acquired a hemispherical form, there is pro- 

 duced in the bell-shaped cell covering it a funnel-shaped 

 septum widening upwards, which is applied both to the inner 

 and outer "\rall, in a closed circle. Its formation appears to be 



