83 Mr. H. J. Carter on Abnormal Development in (Edogonium. 



resting-spores both of CE. dioicum and QH.diandronitcs, so striking, 

 that It would not be right to allow this o})portunity to pass 

 Aviihout figuring and describing it. 



It consists of a conical, transparent, colourless cell, attached 

 by a constricted portion to a more or less globular sac, which is 

 imbedded iu the substance of the spore. It may be single or 

 in plurality; grouped, or growing out separately through dif- 

 ferent parts of the spore-cell ; or protruding through the micro- 

 pyle(fig. ]3). 



Its development takes place in the following way : viz. begin- 

 ning within the resting-spore as a soft sac (apparently formed 

 from a division of the protoplasm), it projects through its coats, 

 and arriving at the spore-cell-wall, becomes constricted into a 

 narrow point, which, passing through this wall, again dilates 

 and assumes a conical form outside (fig. 13, a). The conical 

 part then grows to a considerable size, and becomes filled with 

 a fine, colourless, granular matter, which subsequently passes 

 into a number of small, equal-sized, round nuclei, composed of 

 a semi-opake, yellowish, refractive substance (Z>) ; these become 

 more and more distinct, the granular matter entirely disa])pears, 

 the pointed extremity of the cone is lifted up on one side in the 

 form of a lid (fig. 14-), and the nuclei are liberated, when they 

 are seen to belong, respectivelj^ to little globular, transparent 

 cells, like monads, each of which is provided with a single, long 

 ciliura (fig. 15, a). These then bound off, and some may after- 

 wards be seen attached to the outside of spore-cells, or moving 

 round the micropyle by the polymorphic j)Ower which they also 

 possess, or even v>'ithin the spore-cell. 



When the delivery of the litter is produced prematurely by 

 pressure, they are preceded by a delicate sac, which bursting, is 

 followed by a slow disintegration of the contents, arising from 

 the difficulty with which the monads extricate the long ciliuni 

 from the general mass. 



This development, though never present until the spore has 

 begun to assume a brown colour, indicative of the death of the 

 chlorophyll, begins so early, that occasionally it is difficult to 

 appreciate this change of colour without the presence of another 

 spore in a healthy state, even when the group of cone-cells is 

 almost fully formed. Hence it may be assumed that this growth 

 takes place very rapidly indeed after the spore has begun to lose 

 its natural vitality. A similar change in colour takes place in 

 Eufjlena, Spirogyra, Chara, and all the Alg?e, under similar cir- 

 cumstances, followed by similar developments, as I shall pre- 

 sently mention. 



This conical cell, or abnormal development, appears to me to 

 be closely allied to^ if not identical with, Prof. A. Braun's Chy~ 



