and its Nucleus in Chara verticillata. 31 



or monads, — it does not seem to me an unpardonable amount of 

 speculation to think for a moment that the nuclei of this organism, 

 which exist free and in their proper cells in the protoplasm of 

 the internode of Chara, may be derived from those into which 

 the nucleolus of Chara ultimately becomes resolved. 



P.S. — In addition to the information already afforded me re- 

 specting the time which the nucule of Chara verticillata takes to 

 germinate*, I have now to offer the following : — 



On each occasion upwards of 200 nucules were placed in 

 water, in watch-glasses, in a drawer with a glass-cover, close to a 

 window, and only received the sun from about 2 p.m. to 4^ p.m. 

 daily. 



Those placed in water on the 3rd March 1856 began to ger- 

 minate on the 17th day; those on the 3rd April, not until the 

 65th day ; those on the 15th Maj^, partially (6) on the 23rd 

 day, and then stopping, germinated generally on the 56th day ; 

 those on the 29th June, partially (3) on the 13th day, and then 

 stopping, germinated generally on the 41st day. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE III. 



Tig. I. Vertical section of the nucule, plant-stem and root-cell of Chara 

 verticillata : (a) cavity of the nucule ; (b) first cell of the plant- 

 stem ; (c) dotted line showing the original summit of this cell ; 

 (d) first internode ; (e) annular groove or projection of first cell 

 to form first node ; (/) dotted Hne showing original form of root- 

 cell ; iff, g) two root-buds after 4-division of root-cell. 

 Fig. 2. Free extremity of first root-cell : («) cell-wall ; [b, b) molecular 

 "fixed protoplasm;" (e) "rotating protoplasm;" [d) nucleus 

 with single hyaline vacuole ; (e, e, e) " ii-regidarly shaped bodies ;" 

 (/) " granules." 



N.B.— The an-ow in all indicates the presence of axial fluid 

 and the rotating protoplasm. 

 Fig. 3. Ditto, with second root-cell, and projection for rootlet-cell (lateral 

 view) : [d) primary nucleus elongated, hyaline vacuole in plurality; 

 (e, e) " irregularly shaped bodies ;" (// " granules ;" [g] oblique, 

 sigmoid septum, between the first and second root-cells ; [h) pro- 

 jection for rootlet-cell; (j) vacuoles commencing to break down 

 fixed protoplasm of first root-cell ; [k) secondary nucleus. 



N.B.-— The reader here, as well as in the following diagrams 

 (which are delineated as nearly after nature as possible), 

 must supply the intermediate ones, that is, where the nucleus 

 has tem])orarily disappeared and returns with double nucleoli, 

 &c., from the descriptions in the text. The dark granular 

 shade in all, is intended to represent the fixed proto])lasm ; 

 and the letters have not been repeated after the first figure, 

 as the parts are sufficiently recognizable to render this un- 

 necessary. 



* Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xvii. p. 123. 



