



Dublin Microscopical Club. 209 



fessor M'Nab exhibited pollen of Sarracenia rubra and of S. fluva % 



as well as of the hybrid form S. r)ibra-jlava, raised at (Jlasnevin 

 Garden by the late Dr. Moore, and known in gardens as Sarracenia 

 Popei. The pollen of the hybrid exhibited a nearer resemblance to 

 that of S. rubra % the male parent, than to that of S.jtava. 



Exceptional Growth in Polysiphonia . — Dr. E. Perceval Wright 

 exhibited examples of an exceptional growth in Polysiphonia, giving off 

 root-like bunches of processes from the upper branches, these radia- 

 ting in various directions. Dr. Wright observed that Mr. Frank Dar- 

 win has recently, in a paper on the theory of the growth of cuttings, 

 called attention to Voch ting's statement ( c Organbildung im Pflanzen- 

 reich ') that " a living vegetative cell which is capable of growth has 

 not a specific and unalterable function," and that " the function as- 

 sumed by a cell depends on the morphological position which it 

 occupies in the life-unit as the most important condition ; * and as 

 to the production of stem and root, he refers this to an innate 

 hereditary tendency in the tissues of plants (morphological force). 

 While Dr. W right had long taught the essential doctrine embodied 

 in Yochting's work as true of the cells of the true caulome- and root- 

 producing plants, he had always thought that it would not apply 

 to the thallome-producers ; here the morphological force does not 

 always show an innate tendency to the production of organs in mor- 

 phologically determined positions. In confirmation he exhibited 

 Polysiphonia urceolata, in which the root-like processes (cells) are 

 thrown off in all directions. 



Histology of the Mouse's Nose. — Dr. Reuben Harvey showed some 

 sections from the nose of a mouse demonstrating the free communica- 

 tion between Jacobson's organ and the nasal cavity. The communica- 

 tion in question had been observed by Dr. Harvey before a similar 

 communication in the guinea-pig observed by Klein had been pub- 

 lished. Dr. Harvey had since demonstrated a somewhat similar state 

 of things in the kitten. Dr. Harvey also showed some sections from 

 an embryo rat showing the development of the organ of Jacobson. 



Haemoglobin Crystals from Cat. — Dr. Harvey further showed a 

 specimen of haemoglobin crystals from the cat, obtained by a modifi- 

 cation of Gscheidlen's method, the whipped blood being rendered 

 laky by the addition of water and filtered before being hermetically 

 sealed in tubes. By this method the occurrence of granular debris 

 is avoided. 



Problematic hyaline, stipitate, attached, club- shaped Structure, with 

 Apical Orifice and Green Contents.— Mr. Archer exhibited an organ- 

 ism, occasionally presenting itself to notice, the exact nature or 

 position of which could not be determined, coming thus under the 

 category of u problematic " structures. To some extent it might 

 be regarded as coming near or at least resembling Colacium found 

 on Entoniostraca, fresh examples of which latter he was fortunately 

 able to place side by side with the present puzzling structure. This 



