ix.] ABOUT MOSSES AND LICHENS. 149 



layer of green cells, which are capable, when set free, 

 of giving rise to new individuals. These green cells 

 are known as gonidia (fig. 113, G), and concerning 

 them a humorous theory was promulgated a few 

 years ago, but met with the ridicule it deserved. 

 Professor Schwendener, the author of this theory, 

 believed that these gonidia were neither more nor 

 less than algce little plants allied to the protococcus 

 described in Chapter I. which had been captured by 

 a fungus, and made to provide nutriment for their 

 captor. But we will give the learned Professor's own 

 words : 



"As the result of my researches, all these growths 

 are not simple plants not individuals in the usual 

 sense of the term ; they are rather colonies, which 

 consist of hundreds and thousands of individuals, of 

 which, however, only one acts as master, while the 

 others in perpetual captivity provide nourishment 

 for themselves and their master. This master is a 

 fungus of the order Ascomycetes, a parasite which is 

 accustomed to live upon the work of others ; its 

 slaves are green algae, which it has sought out, or 

 indeed caught hold of, and forced into its service. 

 It surrounds them, as a spider does its prey, with a 

 fibrous net of narrow meshes, which is gradually con- 

 verted into an impenetrable covering. While, how- 

 ever, the spider sucks its prey, and leaves it lying 

 dead, the fungus, incites the algae taken in its net to 

 more rapid activity ; nay, to more vigorous increase." 



It is unnecessary here to state the facts which pre- 

 vent the acceptance of this theory : we, in fact, should 

 not have thought it necessary to allude to the subject 



