56 



than the 460th of an inch (in diameter ?) and about forty in each sac : 

 these bodies have been called pollen by some botanists and anthers 

 by others, but the author proves Dr. Lindley's conjecture that they 

 are abortive sporules, to be perfectly correct. The second kind are of 

 an oblong pyriform shape, slightly constricted in the middle, with a 

 more or less plicate conical projection at one end ; these are far less 

 numerous than the first kind, and occur singly in each sac ; they are 

 about the 60th of an inch broad, and have the power of germinating, 

 which the first kind do not appear to possess. The author considers 

 these larger bodies to be " undoubted sporules ; " each of them con- 

 sists of three coats, and the interior is occupied by a grumous fluid 

 and particles of matter of various sizes and mostly ovate figure. The 

 conical projection of the sporule is a prolongation of the middle coat, 

 and is perforated at the apex : the inner coat is not continued into the 

 cone, but on the removal of that part may be seen closing the aper- 

 ture, in the form of a transparent membrane marked with three lines 

 radiating from the centre, which indicate a valvular structure. 



The progress of development of these sponilar bodies is minutely 

 detailed, and illustrated by a number of beautifully executed figures. 



" A transverse section of the involucrum, when about the size of a small pin's head, 

 shows it to consist of four integuments containing a mass of very delicate, spongy, 

 compressible, cellular tissue, subdivided into four ecjual triangular portions, by four 

 lines radiating from the centre."— 488. 



In the centre of each of the four triangular portions is a cavity, into 

 which projects a number of nipple-like processes attached to a com- 

 mon receptacle. As the involucrum advances the cavities increase in 

 size by a gradual recession of the surrounding cellular tissue, caused 

 by an inherent condensation, of which the four radiating lines are the 

 result ; and at maturity this condensation " is so complete, that the 

 whole of the spongy tissue is condensed into four dissepiments, divid- 

 ing the cavity of the involucrum into four equal loculi." The nipple- 

 like processes continue to increase in size, and on examination are 

 found to be hollow sacs, each containing a quantity of grumous mat- 

 ter, and " about ten soft, rather opaque, pulpy bodies, which are evi- 

 dently compounded of four closely connected parts, so placed on each 

 other as to form a cone with a triangular base." Such of these bodies 

 as occupy chiefly the upper portion of the involucrum, — 



" Enlarge, become pellucid, and recede from each other, but continue to be at- 

 tached to each other by four stalks as long as half their diameter, which meet in one 

 centre. It is now evident that these four bodies or sporules are contained in a mother- 

 cell, which most probably existed before, but on account of its close approximation 



