celxii Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XV, 
female receptacle in the genus Dumortiera. The power of revi- 
val after desiccation is an extremely common and well-known 
ane of the foliose Jungermanniales. The reproduction by 
spores, i.e. sexual reproduction ultimately, plays a very small 
part in the life history of the Liverworts, and tha t may pos- 
sibly be one reason of the reduction which they progressively 
show. 
I shall consider the Jungermanniales very briefly. They 
form, particularly the foliose forms, by far the largest number 
of Liverworts. They are, as a rule, met with in shady and moist 
places while the thallose forms occur, asa rule, in exposed places. 
It appears that the thallose forms have been derived from the 
foliose forms, as an adaptation to a drier habitat, by condensa- 
n. The transitional forms between the foliose and the 
thallose species are so common and so familiar that I need not 
mention them. I shall merely briefly refer to one point, i.e 
whether the evolution has — from the thallose to the foliose 
forms or in the opposite direction 
genus Fossombronia which is usually described as 
leafy, though the leaves are not very sharply marked off from 
the mere lobing of the thallus, is closely allied to the Himalayan 
genus Sewardiella described by the writer a few vears ago. 
two genera indicates that it is most probably a case of direct 
descent. Investigations of other plants on similar lines would 
probably reveal more cases of this sort. 
he Jungermanniales are as a rule prostrate or ascendin 
and as a rule dorsiventral, the curious family Celobryaceae 
contains erect forms. e plants are radiai in Calobryum, 
but conflicting tag are met with regarding the second 
genus Haplomitr A detailed investigation of this family 
should also ak to i interesting results but be erie informa- 
tion is unfortunately not gine at prese 
If the view as to the origin of the ‘Baltoce forms advanced 
by the writer is correct the further reduction of these to forms 
like Sphaerocarpus would naturally follow. There is absolutely 
no need of the eee of a hypothetical form like Sphaero- 
riccia advanced by Lotsy. 
