CYSTOSPEKME^;. 189 



capsule of the masses of spores, which were surrounded by 

 a bright green granular mucilaginous mass, and thus were 

 held together in a ball. I have never been able to observe 

 in the interior of this mass any peculiar motion of the 

 spores, yet I have seen that during the discharge (Ausstro- 

 men) several seeds separated themselves from the principal 

 mass, and then exhibited a high degree of voluntary motion, 

 which often lasted a long time, and which still belonged to 

 them when they had distinctly increased in length, appa- 

 rently in order to produce new individuals : this occurrence I 

 have not actually been able to observe in this species, but I 

 hope that during this summer it will not escape me. 



" The above-mentioned capsule is exhibited in very different 

 forms in the accompanying tables; it ordinarily presents a pear- 

 shaped figure, with a more or less elongated neck, which fre- 

 quently expands into the form of a funnel ; the breadth of the 

 capsule is greater at the base than that of the next joint. The 

 gradual developement of this organ, which I have not been able 

 to observe here, will be given with the following species. It 

 is however to be observed that the capsule, after the discharge 

 of the spores, separates from the filament, and then presents 

 the form which is to be seen in figures 8 and 9. 



" The filaments are dissimilar, and, with advancing age, 

 the dissimilarity increases, so that, at length, the elliptical 

 form of an utriculus passes into a perfectly spherical one. 

 I had the good fortune to observe how such a spherical 

 utriculus separated itself, under my eyes, from the other 

 tubes (Schlaucheri), and, existing only for itself, moved, I 

 might almost say voluntarily, with incredible swiftness in all 

 directions. Figure 11. a and b show these detached spherical 

 utriculi; and, whilst observing them , I succeeded, by blowing 

 on the object-bearer, in hastening this separation, and then 

 observed the free motion of the separated tube. With regard 

 to the structure of this organ, it is to be observed, that it is 

 usually as simple as that of the ordinary utriculus, whilst the 

 spherical cell is closely filled with masses of spores. In one 

 part, however, of the circumference of the sphere may be seen, 

 upon close examination, a transparent portion, like an affixed 



