James Groves — A Curious Fossil Charophyte Fruit. 127 



lime that the unusual feature occurs in the shape of a tubular 

 hollow, which follows the course of each of the spiral-cells, as shown 

 in Fig. 1,B,C. I had previously assumed that the layer of white lime 

 was simply a deposit, extraneous in origin, which had taken place 

 between the oogonium sac and the possibly shrunken oospore. 

 The presence of these uniform tubular hollows in Mr. Tawney's 

 specimens, and the division of the white line into regular bands, 

 as shown in the illustration, however, seems to point to an organic 

 origin. ^ 



Fig. 1. — Fruit of fossil Charophyte from Locle, Switzerland. A. Nearly entire 

 oogonium, x circa 31. B. Broken specimen, showing section of part of 

 the wall of the oogonium and an internal layer of soft white lime with 

 tubular channels, x circa 31. C. Transverse section (diagrammatic of 

 three of the petrified spiral-cells forming the wall of the oogonium), 

 a a with the corresponding bands of the white lime layer, h b having 

 compressed tubular channels shown as black ovals, x circa 65. 



I am at present unable to suggest any explanation of this 

 problematic feature, and the main object of this note is to draw 

 attention to its occurrence, in the hope that those having the 

 opportunity of investigating freshwater deposits will keep a look- 

 out for charophyte fruits, which may throw some light on the 

 development in question. 



I have not seen authentic specimens of Chara Merianii Braun, 

 which is reported from the Miocene of Switzerland and Baden, 

 but conclude from Heer's figures in Flora Tertiaria Helvetice that 

 the specimens under consideration belong to that species. 



