THE MOSSES, FUNGI, AND LICHENS. 299 



analogous to the stamens of ordinary flowering- 

 plants. Mixed with them are numerous jointed 

 threads called paraphyses, which seem set apart for 

 the purpose of keeping the male organs moist, and 

 thus to preserve their vitality. The female organs 

 are termed archegonia (Fig. 230), and they correspond 

 to the pistils of true flowering plants. When the 

 autheridia, or male organs, are sufficiently ripe, 

 they rupture, and set free peculiar bodies which 

 move about as if they were living creatures. These 

 are called spermatozoids (Fig. 232). 

 Meantime, the female organ (archego- 

 niurn) has been preparing for their re- 

 ception, by also rupturing its walls, 

 and rolling them back like the mouth 

 of a trumpet, so that the spermatozoids 

 can more reacfiiv enter, and fertilise the 



- ' Spermatozoids 



germinal cell. The latter then roots 

 itself, and sends up its fruit-stalk, on the end of 

 which it carries the calyptra or veil (Fig. 234), 

 which envelopes the young fruit. Both the veil and 

 the capsule it covers are of different shapes in 

 different species, so that proper attention paid to 

 them will readily enable the student to recognise 

 the various kinds of mosses. The mouth of the 

 capsule, or fruit-case, is covered with a lid, which 

 can be taken off by the thumb-nail as easily as the 

 lids which cover the old fashioned earthenware 

 teapots. In the several species this lid is of different 

 shapes, and hence becomes another aid to their 



