101 



produce sori of tetraspores with tlie occasional cells of 

 the haploid plant which form similar structures shows a 

 striking difference in size, tlie cells with tlie diploid 

 nuclei "being much larger . . 



More iifiportant froDi this standpoint is the fact t}:iat 

 not only in Griff ithsia, , but in red algae generally v;here 

 tetrasporic and sexual plants occur side "by side, the tet- 

 rasporic plajits are, as a, rule, more alaundant (p. 4" ) . In 

 Griff ithsia Borne ti ana the nuinber of tetraspores produced 

 is certainly much greater than the niimlDer of carpospores, 

 and v/e should e:cpect, tlierefore, if the tv/o kinds of spores 

 were equally vigorous, that the nuinter of sexua-l plants 

 v/ould grea-tly e^xeed tlie numter of tetrasporic plants; 

 whereas the reverse is the case. It seems possible that 

 the carpospores have a greater capacity for development 

 than the tetraspores. Cultural experiments along this line 

 are mucli to be desired. 



If the view is correct that a postponeuient of reduc- 

 tion has occurred in some Rhodophyceae , it is evident tiiat, 

 besides the altei'nation of the gcunetophyte (the sexual 

 plant) with tlie antithetic sporoph^'te (tlie sporogenous 

 cells of the cystocarp) , there is a succession of homolo- 

 gous phases, inasmuch as a tetrasporic individual regularly 



