442 Mr. A. Henfrey on the Reproduction of the 



termed the archegonia, and the antheridia ; from the former of 

 which the spore-fruit takes its origin, while the antheridia, after 

 discharging moving spiral filaments or spermatozoids, die away 

 and disappear. It has long been supposed that these organs 

 represented the sexual organs of the flowering plants, and that 

 an impregnation of the archegonia was effected by means of the 

 spermatozoids of the antheridia. 



These antheridia and archegonia are produced in various situ- 

 ations ; in the frondose Hepatica?, such as Anthoceros, Riccia, &c, 

 the antheridia and archegonia are developed in the cellular sub- 

 stance of the frond ; in the leafy Jungermannioe they are found in 

 the axils of the leaves or at the apex of the stem ; but under all 

 circumstances they exhibit a structure having a common type. 



The antheridia, whether they originate in excavations of the 

 cellular frond, as in Anthoceros, or as axillary products, present 

 themselves at first as cellular papillae which grow out, and by 

 multiplication of their cells are converted into stalked clavate or 

 finally almost globular bodies ; during this growth the internal 

 cells have undergone a peculiar development and become de- 

 tached from the outer layer, so that this last appears as a simple 

 cellular membranous coat inclosing a cavity filled with free cel- 

 lules. At a certain epoch this stalked cellular sac, the perfect 

 antheridium, becomes ruptured above, and the contained cellules 

 emerge ; in the interior of each of these is seen a spiral filament 

 coiled up, which soon breaks out of the cellule and exhibits active 

 rotatory motion ; these spiral filaments are the so-called sperma- 

 tozoids. In some Hepaticse the antheridium is said to have a 

 double cellular coat. 



The archegonia or pistillidia present greater differences. In 

 Anthoceros a single row, composed of four or five cells running 

 down from the surface of the frond form the archegonium ; the 

 lowermost of these produces a free cell in its interior, and then 

 the cross septa of all above it are absorbed, so that an open canal 

 is formed leading down to the free cell at the bottom ; it is at this 

 period the impregnation is supposed to take place by a sperma- 

 tozoid penetrating into this canal and coming in contact with the 

 free cellule at the base of the archegonium, which then becomes 

 developed into the known pod-shaped capsule of Anthoceros. 



In Pellia epiphylla the archegonium grows out from the 

 under side of the edge of the frond as a flask-shaped cellular 

 body, having a cellule (nucleus) within its cavity, which cellule, 

 after impregnation, becomes developed into the sporiferous cap- 

 sule. 



In the leafy Jungermannise the archegonia are similar flask- 

 shaped bodies, as also are those produced in Marchantia, &c. ; the 

 involucres which surround them are usually of later origin than 



