CONFERVOID FILAMENTS OF MOSSES. 58] 
two cilia, and their contents were granular (PL LVIII. fig. 23 e). The smaller measured 
about yg^ by 3sVoth of an inch. 
Thus far I have dealt with the confervoid filaments and their gonidia. 1 shall now 
point out two other methods by which independent cells are set free from Mosses, pos- 
sessing the power of segmentation, and doubtless of reproducing the parent Mo s, 
although I have not been able to trace them back again to the parent. 
It has been mentioned above, that in the thallogenous plants the power of producing 
gonidia is diffused through almost any part of the thallus, but that in the Mosses it is 
more localized. Yet it is not entirely confined to the confervoid filaments. 
I have frequently noticed that Glceocapsa-like cells are produced l'rom the contents ».i 
the cells of the older leaves, which, situated at the base of the stem, towards autumn and 
during winter and spring have become brown. These leaves are not wholly dead. It 
is their cell-walls only which, having become brown, give them the appearance of 
dead tissue; but the contents as yet retain their vitality and green colour within. 
Their condition is precisely similar to that of the cells of the filaments described ab \e, 
whose walls have become dyed of a brown colour. After a time the old cell-wall 
dissolves away, and then it becomes evident that the contents have assumed the form ■ !*, 
or rather have become a Glceocapsa, which certainly undergoes -^mentation freely. I 
have shown a portion of some of these leaves in this state in PI. LV 1 1 1. fig. 2 A ; a port ion 
of the margin has lost its dark cell-wall, and has already produced Glceoccpsa (PI. LVII I. 
ng. 24<a). I have seen considerable masses of Glceocapsa produced in this manner. 
Another very curious mode of forming free cells, capable of segmentation, is the 
following 
do not 
The axis springs up in the usual way, and proceeds to form leaves. The cell 
ever, which should in the ordinary way unite to form their lamina, in this case 
cohere, but either run parallel to or branch away somewhat from each other (PI. LVIII. 
fig. 19). The terminal cell of each of these pseudo-leaves possesses the pow r of 
separating from the others (as the terminal cell of the filaments did, see PI. LVII. 
fig. 10). In the instance from which I give this description, it might be noticed that 
the freed ceU was more or less of a pointed oval form, one side being, however, much 
straighter than the other (PI. LVIII. fig. 19c), and having somewhat the appearance of 
the frustule of Isthmia nervosa. Each of these cells might be notic.nl to have already 
begun to divide by binary division before their separation. 
Lar-e numbers of these cells were shed, and disseminated readily. *1 any for the tim 
remained in contact with the structure from which they sprang, and gave the whole 
the appearance of little yellow dots on the ground whence they arose. I cannot tell to 
what Moss it belonged, but there were numerous examples of it. Prom the same stem 
confervoid filaments arose, and some (*) were giving rise to Glceocapsa, as before men- 
tioned. 
In PI LVIII fig 25, 1 have shown a condition of the axis of one of the Jmgermamt* 
from Jamaica, precisely like that of the Moss shown at PI. LVIII. fig. 19. I observed 
it in plenty in a hot-house, where the plant grew in abundance. The whole had very 
much the appearance of an Alga, and was a very beautiful object, from the transparency 
