DEVELOPMENT. 



The archegonia (fig. 7 ) t 

 the Sphagnums, are also 

 surrounded by paraphyses, 

 are somewhat flask-shaped 

 bodies, the upper part con- 

 sisting of a slender neck, the 

 lower part being somewhat 

 pear-shaped. In the centre 

 of the pear-shaped body, and 

 near the top, is a small cavity, 

 within which a nucleated cell 

 is developed, called the oos- 

 phere(fig.7,^^)j and after the 

 archegonium has acquired 

 some size, a closed canal will 

 be seen passing down the 

 neck, into that part of the 

 pear-shaped body in which 

 the oosphere (fig. l,J3b) is 

 situated. After a while, as 

 growth goes on, the cells 

 bounding the top of the neck 

 fall away, thus leaving an 

 open passage down the canal 

 to the oosphere. Down this 

 canal the antherozoids pass, 

 and reaching at length the 

 oosphere bring about im- 

 pregnation. 



After impregnation has 

 taken place cell-division com- 

 mences in the oosphere, and 

 continues until by frequent 

 repetition the sporogonium 

 is formed. During this time 

 the archegonium increases in 

 size, the sporogonium (fig. 8, 

 J5f) growing longitudinally, 

 the base of the archegonium. 



which, with the exception of 



FIG. 7. Funaria hygrometrica. 

 A , longitudinal section of the sum- 

 mit of weak female plant ( x 100 ); a, 

 archegonia ; b, leaves. B, an arche- 

 gonium ( X 550) ; b, ventral portion 

 with the centre cell ; k, neck ; tn, 

 mouth still closed. C, the part near 

 the mouth of the neck of a fertilized 

 archegonium, with dark-red cell 

 walls. 



and striking deep down into 

 This continued upward and 



