Prof. G. Gulliver on the Tissue-cells of Hymenophyllum. 309 



in conclusion, quote from it a short paragraph which contains 

 an important truth, but which may very fairly be applied in 

 other quarters than those for which the author intended it — 

 No progress m natural science is possible as long as men will 

 take their rude guesses at truth for facts, and substitute the 

 tancies of their imagination for the sober rules of reasoning '' 



XXXI.— On the Tissue-cells of the Involucres o/ Hymenophyllum. 



By George Gulliver, F.R.S. 

 Since the publication, in the August Number of the ' Annals ' 

 of my comparison of the leaf-cells of the British species oV 

 Hymenophyllum, which was done from poor specimens of these 

 jjlants, Mr F. Clowes has kindly given me some better-grown 

 leaves of them; and, as he mentioned, I find that they will 

 ireshen in water like mosses. Accordingly, after these dried 

 lerns had been put for an hour or two therein, the cells were 







Fig. 1, 

 Fig. 2, 

 Fig. 3, 

 Fig. 4. 



Scak 



j^oths of an inch. 



Tissue-cells of involucre of Hymenophyllum Tunbridqense 



Ditto of H. Wilsoni. 



Spores of Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense. 



Ditto of H. Wilsoni. 



found as perfect as in the growing plants ; and many examina- 

 tions confirmed the accuracy of the fact before stated, that the 

 leaf-cells of H. Wilsoni are more elongated and larger than those 



