190 CYSTOSPERMEiE. 



larger section of a smaller sphere, which, during motion, is 

 always directed forwards, while the entire sphere continually 

 revolves on its longer axis, and this with a wonderful rapidity. 

 At length I observed the fine skin of the organ to burst, and 

 with the discharge of the motionless spores, followed the death 

 of the animal life (der Tod des animalischen Lehens) of this 

 organ, and the plant appeared. It must also be observed, 

 that the mass of spores, which is discharged from this sphere, 

 is much more highly developed than that which escapes from 

 the capsule, since in the former they are little more than 

 vesicles, and scarcely present any thing of the grumous shiny 

 mass, which in the latter is very evident. 



"In figs. 12. and 13. are displayed similar organs of irre- 

 gular form, whose origin It is very difficult to explain. If I 

 had not observed "the springing up of this organ, as well as 

 its propagation {Fortpjianzung), of which I shall speak here- 

 after, one might sujjpose it to represent the seeds, which here 

 appear to be a little more extended, and seated on the parent 

 plant, to be about to shoot out into young Conferva. This 

 idea is, however, entirelj^ false, since such a mode of growth 

 occurs only in the inarticulate Conferva, and therefore in 

 Vaucheria. In conclusion, I must be allowed to assert that 

 this species has hitherto never been observed, since the dark- 

 green colour, the shortness of the filaments, and their lying 

 one upon another, are very striking characters ; yet we no- 

 where find them given." — Meyen, Kritische Beitrdge zum 

 Studium der Susszcasser-Algen Flora, No. 45., December, 

 1827. 



INIeyen's second example, H. polgmorpha, seems to include 

 more than one species belonging to different genera. 



The genus Hempelia is false both in fact and philosophy. 

 The capsule, upon which Meyen lays so much stress, is 

 nothing more than the first developed cell of the Conferva, or 

 transformed zoospore, and has nothing vvhatever to do with 

 the reproduction of the species. To imagine that it has, is 

 in the highest degree unphilosophical, for it is to attribute 

 that function, which is indicative of the perfection of the life 

 of an organic being, and whicli is the last for it to assume, to 



