124 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia 



twenty-six days ; those placed in water on the 2nd of May after 

 sixteen days : of fifty nucules placed in \A'ater on the 1st of Sep- 

 tember none have germinated up to the present time (Novem- 

 ber 15th). At first the young plants appeared in the form of 

 Nitella, but not having grown beyond three-quarters of an inch 

 in length, they did not pass into that of Chara. Thus, Chara 

 begins in the lower form of Nitella ; and the oldest internodes 

 of the large Nitella, where the endochrome has disappeared, are 

 fluted like the stem of Chara, but not celled like it. Out of the 

 first set of nucules (viz. thirteen) four only germinated, and one 

 of these threw out two plants, but both did not grow with equal 

 rapidity, one remaining abortive or stationary. 



Bombay, 15th November 1855. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES VIIL and IX. 



Plate VIII. 



Fig. 1. Portion of an internode of Nitella, showing the arrangement of the 

 " green disks " in the " green layer ;' also (a) one of the white 

 lines or "lines of repose" *. 



Fig. 2. Transverse section of ditto, showing (a) the " green layer;" (b, b) in- 

 ternal border of " mucus-layer ;" (c, c) " lines of repose." 



Fig. 3. Portion of the green layer showing its structure ; also the chloro- 

 phyll-mucus of the " green disk " and its transparent cell. 



Fig. 4. Cavity of '' green disk" divided into compartments with a granule 

 in each. 



Fig. 5. Ditto nearly filled with starch-grains, the chlorophyll ha^-ing almost 

 disappeared. 



Fig. 6. Starch-gi-ains of ditto, separate. 



Fig. 7- Portion of the "mucus-layer" as it issues from the internode, 

 containing the " globular vesicles," " circular disks," irregular 

 bodies and granules. 



Fig. 8. " Circular disk " of small Nitella, with moleculai--formed nucleus 

 contracted into an oval shape. 9. Ditto from mucus-layer of 

 Chara verticillata. 10. Ditto from mucus-layer of large Nitella. 



Fig. 11. Irregular body from mucus-layer of small Nitella. 12. Ditto 

 agariciform, from Chara verticillata and large Nitella, inferior 

 view. 13. Ditto ditto, superior view. 



Fig. 14. " Globular vesicle " with circular disk or nucleus in situ, sur- 

 roimded by grauuliferous mucus. 



Fig. 15. Ditto with an " irregular body " in the position of the circular 

 disk or nucleus. 



Fig. 16. Globular vesicle containing a plurahty of circular disks. 



Pig. 17. " Globular vesicle " of large Nitella with disk or nucleus in situ, 

 surrounded by granuliferous mucus, in which are imbedded two 



* All these figures should be viewed as diagrams delineated after nature 

 as far as circumstances would pennit ; and should any discrepancy be found 

 between them and the text, the reader is requested to be guided by the 

 latter. 



