22,2 Shaw: Merrillosphaera africana 193 



transverse plane as the larger gonidia. These were noted in 

 both daughters of specimen 3. 



FEMALE AND BISEXUAL COENOBIA 



The above heading was written before it had become apparent 

 that the coenobia for which it is intended are not all strictly 

 female, since some of them contain a few antheridia. It will 

 be convenient to consider here those coenobia in which the fe- 

 male reproductive bodies greatly preponderate. Observations 

 on the unborn daughters in the last three specimens will first 

 be recorded. 



Specimen 7a.— Plate 2, fig. 7. The female daughter in this 

 specimen contains twenty-three oogonidia that range from 25 

 to 29 p, and three reproductive bodies that I take to be andro- 

 gonidia. Two of the latter are undivided and measure about 

 18 ix, and the other is divided into four cells and measures about 

 21 fx. The undivided supposed androgonidia are the two smaller 

 bodies, one to the left and above the center, the other to the 

 right and below the center. The first is on the nearer side, 

 the other on the farther side of the coenobium. Their posi- 

 tions are about those of a typical pair of larger gonidia in an 

 asexual coenobium. The third supposed androgonidium is far- 

 ther back and to the left. Examination of the preparation 

 from the back of the slide revealed, in the place that would 

 be occupied by a symmetrically placed mate to the dividing 

 androgonidium, a reproductive cell of about 20 /* in diameter. 



Specimen 8a.— Plate 2, fig. 9. The female daughter in this 

 mother contains twenty-three oogonidia of 21 to 28 /* in diameter, 

 and two reproductive cells of about 18 /» in diameter. The latter 

 are the bodies at the extreme right and left in about the middle 

 of the coenobium. They are obviously homologous in position 

 with the larger reproductive bodies of the asexual sister coeno- 

 bium. In all probability they are androgonidia. 



Specimens 9a, 9b, and Pc.-Plate 2, fig. 12. The three female 

 daughters of specimen 9 contain thirty, seventeen, and twenty- 

 nine reproductive bodies. In the two larger daughters two of 

 the bodies are androgonidia, of which those in one coenobium 

 are divided. In the left daughter (9a) the androgonidia are 

 the upper, obscure member of a pair at the extreme left of 

 the coenobium, and the lower member of a triad at the extreme 

 right of the coenobium. They are fairly symmetrically located 

 on opposite sides of the middle of the coenobium. These two 



