FERNS. 



313 



into an error in certain important respects ; for example, 

 he has represented what is undoubtedly an archcgonium 

 filled with cellules, sperm-cells, which, he states, " emerged 

 from it as from the antheridia" This description is not 

 quite correct. 



The reproduction of ferns had, until within. the last few 

 years, been a vexed question among botanists. The riddle 

 was at length solved by the labours of Count Suminski, 

 who discovered that it is in the structures developed from 

 the spores in germination that the pistillidia and autheridia 

 of ferns are to be sought. The nature of the phenomena 

 by which the propagation of ferns is effected, is as follows. 

 In all the different species of ferns, the spores are contained 

 in brown dots, on lines collected on the under surfaces, or 

 along the edges of the fronds. Each of the spore-cases 

 is surrounded by an elastic 

 ring, which when the time 

 arrives for the spores to be 

 set free, makes an effort 

 to straighten itself, and in 

 so doing causes the spore- 

 case to which it is attached 

 to split open, and the spore 

 dust to be dispersed. Very 

 soon after these spores 



have begun to germinate, ^^ 



a flat plate-like expansion, p . 



, r . . * ig- 169. Sorus of Depana prohfera. 



somewhat resembling a 



heart in form, shows itself. This expansion gradually 

 thickens, the tube from which it had sprung withering 

 away. So far, observes Mr. Henfrey, there is nothing very 

 remarkable in the development of these plants from their 

 spores, but the succeeding phenomena are exceedingly 

 curious. The main particulars are thus described by him : 

 " At an early period of the expanding growth of the leaf- 

 like product of the spore, termed the prothallium or 

 -germ-frond, a number of little cellular bodies are found 

 projecting from the lower surface, which, if placed in 

 water when ripe, burst and discharge a quantity of micro- 

 scopic filaments, curled like a corkscrew, and furnished 

 with vibrating hair-like appendages, by the motion of 



