REJUVENESCENCE IN NATURE. 301 



that the contents of the one cell do not make their way 

 into the next cell by a lateral connecting canal, as in the 

 said Spirogyra, but probably through an opening in the 

 partition separating the two cells. Leon le Clerc* has 

 already correctly objected to the idea of such a conjuga- 

 tion of the contents of the two adjacent cells, in the 

 (Edogonia, that we not unfrequently find the lower as 

 well as the upper neighbour-cell of the sporiferous cell 

 filled with unattenuated green contents, and that some- 

 times two, and even three and four cells containing 

 spores follow in immediate succession. These statements 

 are perfectly accurate, and Hassall's endeavours, partly to 

 set them aside, partly to turn them so that they shall not 

 oppose his theory, are unsuccessful. In the first place, 

 as regards the occurrence of several sporiferous cells in 

 succession, it must be remarked that two adjacent spore- 

 cells are met with more or less frequently in all species, 

 and I have often observed three to four in succession in 

 (Edogonium apopJiysatum and Landsboroughii.\ If there 

 were only two, it might still be asserted that one had 

 attracted the contents of the cell next below it, the other 

 the contents of the cell next above it, in order to form 

 the spore out of coupled contents ; but when three or 

 four sporiferous cells follow in succession, such a coupling 

 is no longer conceivable. In reference to the contents of 

 that cell which precedes a single, or several successive 

 spore mother-cells, it must be noticed of (Edogonium, 

 that these are certainly ordinarily, but not unvariably, 

 poorer in solid constituents, particularly in chlorophyll, 

 than those of other sterile cells, but at the same time are 

 never wholly devoid of colour or of granules, as, on the 

 contrary, is generally the case in Bulbochate. A similar, 



* 'Sur la Fructification du Genre Prolifera de Vaucher,' 'Mem. du 

 Museum,' iii, (1817,) p. 462. The old name of Prolifera was founded on an 

 error, and was therefore changed to (Edogonium by Link. 



f (Edogonium Landsboroughii, (Hassall,) is the species described and 

 figured, (t. 23, f. 1,) by Le Clerc, as Prolifera rivularis. Le Clerc repre- 

 sents four adjacent sporiferous cells in (Ed, Rothii also, 1. c., f. 8. 



