78 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AuGustT 
in eggs having the gelatinous layer fully developed. It is nec- 
essary to use alcoholic stains. Or, by reason of its slippery 
middle layer, the volva may give a glancing effect to blows by 
falling or other objects. Injury to eggs in digging them is not 
likely to extend beyond the middle layer, and such eggs go 
through the process of elongation of the receptaculum in an 
apparently normal manner. Or the volva may contain some 
substance unpalatable to insects and other animals, and so pro- 
tect the eggs from being eaten. I have never collected one 
showing injury of this kind. 
On the other hand, is the volva a structure in which water 
and, perhaps, plastic substances are accumulated as a reserve 
for use in elongation of the receptaculum? Or may the func- 
tion of water storage be combined with the earlier one of pro- 
tection? The following experiments were made to determine 
whether elongation of the receptaculum is dependent on water 
or other substance which may be received from the volva during 
the process of elongation: 
Experiment 3.—On October 9, an egg collected October 2 
was divided longitudinally into halves. The volva was care- 
fully cut away from one of the halves, care being taken not to 
injure the base of the stipe. Each half was supported in the 
apparatus described in Experiment 2, and both halves were kept 
under the same bell jar in an atmosphere kept moist by a strip 
of damp paper. Rupture of the volva and elongation of the 
receptaculum began early in the morning, but the apparatus was 
not ready for use until 10: 30 A.M., at which time the partially 
elongated plant measured about 11™ in length. 
Length of half Length of half 
Time with volva with volva d 
10:30 A.M. - - - - Lie? Ligne 
12:00 M. - - - 116 120 
fo Pai) s - - - 118 124 
Experiment 4.—On October 9, a very fine plant, partially 
elongated, was collected at 4:00 p.m. It was taken to the 
laboratory at once and divided longitudinally into halves. The 
