226 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ OCTOBER 
- asmall cell is cut off at the apex of the archegonium, which 
corresponds to the canal cell of the conifers. Until the publi- 
cation of Ikeno’s preliminary note announcing the discovery of 
this canal cell in Cycas revoluta* it had been supposed that it was 
not formed in the Cycadacee. It would seem, however, 
from its occurrence in Cycas and Zamia that it is commonly 
formed in the Cycadacee as in the Conifer, Hirase has also 
recently described the formation of this cell in Ginkgo biloba. | 
have not observed the division of the nucleus leading to the 
formation of the canal cell in Zamia, but the process probably 
corresponds very closely to that occurring in Cycas and Ginkgo. 
Before fecundation the canal cell appears to break up and lose 
its identity, as only occasional traces of it can be found at that 
time. 
After the division which leads to the formation of the canal 
cell, the lower nucleus, which forms the oosphere, travels down- 
ward and takes a position somewhat below the middle of the 
archegonium. It is usually spherical or slightly elliptical, and its 
contents are much less dense than the surrounding cytoplasm of 
the archegonium with which it forms a marked contrast. The 
mature archegonium is usually elliptical or slightly reniform 
and is about 3™™ in length and 1 to1.5™" in width. As explained 
in my previous papers, several antherozoids commonly enter 
each archegonium, two being usually found and sometimes three 
or four. The entire antherozoid enters unchanged, swimming 
in between the ruptured neck cells. Only one of the anthero- 
zoids is concerned in fecundation, and the others are usually 
found between the protoplasm and wall of the archegonium, 
presenting their original form and appearance, or in some stage 
of disintegration. Occasionally one of the antherozoids not con- 
cerned in fecundation pushes for a short distance into the con- 
tents of the archegonium, but it apparently does not mingle 
with the protoplasm of the archegonium, as it is always found 
in such cases to form a distinct body which stains very differ- 
4Note préliminaire sur la formation de la cellule de canal chez le Cycas revol- 
uta. The Botanical Magazine 10:61. September 1896. 
Re gyi ee 
