434 Mr. H. J. Carter on the DeceJopment 0/ Sorastrum, 



its cell in the condition of a macrogonidium, singly or in 

 plurality, previously to impregnation and the formation of the 

 sporangium, as in Cryptoglena lenticuJans {I. c.) and other 

 Algffi of the kind ; lastly, that the facility with which the 

 enlarged and rounded individuals of a group may be separated 

 indicates that tliis may take place naturally, and thus that 

 each individual may originate a new group, also as in uni- 

 cellular Algffi generally. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIV. 



All the figures of Sorastrum spimdosmn, Niig., are drawn on the scale 

 of 1-GOOOth to l-12th inch, in order that their relative sizes may be seen. 

 Conococcus elonr/atus, n. sp., fig. 10, is on the scale of l-.5400th to l-12th 

 inch ; figs. 11 & 12, l-5400th to l-24th inch. The rest of the groups 

 were all smaller in size, although their cells individually might, on 

 separation, attain much larger dimensions. 



Fiff. 1. Sorastrum spinuJosum, Niig., typical form of coenobium or group 

 of sixteen individuals ; average size 8-GOOOths inch in diameter. 



Fiy. 2. Tlie same, individual of largest size separated from the group, 

 showing the body containing nuclear (?) vesicle : a, stipes. 

 Size 5-GOOOtlis inch broad by 4-GOOOths long ; spines and stipes 

 each li-GOOOth inch long. 



Fiy. 3. The same, end view, outer side. 



Fiy. 4. The same, sporangium, 1 8-GOOOths inch in diam., undergoing deve- 

 lopment of its contents internally, presenting fifteen groups of eight 

 iudividutals each and one single individual, = sixteen groups, 

 but here represented with four groups only, for perspicuity, viz. 

 two of sixteen individuals each (« a), each group r)-G000ths incli 

 diameter and each individual 2-GOOOths broad, one of eioht in- 

 dividuals (h) of the foregoing diameter and bn^adth of individual 

 respectively, and one single individual (c) 4-GOOOths inch broad. 

 The four circles {d d d d) are intended to show the position of 

 some of the other groups, of which the whole ( viz. sixteen) were 

 respectively developed in separate compartments indicated by 

 the septal lines (/) extending outwards from the central cell, 

 which groups, though actually all seen by alteration of tbe focus 

 of the microscope, could not be delineated altogether, and wi're 

 too indistinct and confused to admit of any tiling but the arbi- 

 trary and imaginary arrangement of them given in the figure. 

 Central cell (e) spherical, .'^-(JOOOths inch in diauu'ter, represent- 

 ing a central circular area surrounded by a number of smaller 

 cells. 



N.H. In my original Notes, the whole of the groups in this 

 sporangium, with the exceptiim of tlie single individual (c), are 

 set down as containing only eight indi\ iduals each ; but as 

 many of tlie groups subsequently seen in the contents of the 

 gum-bottle consisted of sixteen or thirty-two individnals, and 

 these seemed to have come originally from sporangia ef the 

 sanui kind and in the same way, I liuve delineated two of the 

 gi'oups {(I a) \\\{\\ sixteen instead of eiL'ht indi\idiials each. 

 conjecturall\ . 



