ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 649 



on the dorsal side pointing downwards, adapted for carriage by 

 adherence to the hair or wool of animals; (3) larva-like forms, 

 without wings or bristles, but with the outer pericarp folded in a 

 wavy manner, so as to resemble the larvfe of microlepidoptera. The 

 1st and 2nd pass into one another by intermediate forms ; the 3rd is 

 an illustration of true mimicry, for the promotion of dissemination by 

 deceiving insectivorous birds ; these fruits are usually found in the 

 central part of the inflorescence. 



Testa of Leguminous Seeds.* — Mr. L. H. Pammel describes the 

 structure of the testa of a number of leguminous seeds, including 

 that of the Calabar-bean, Physostigma venenosum, and the remarkably 

 hard testa of the Kentucky coffee-bean, Gymnocladus canadensis, in 

 which, in addition to the five distinct layers found elsewhere, there is 

 a sixth very strongly developed layer of sclerenchyma. 



Vegetable Metagenesis.f — A new and consistent system of 

 nomenclature is proposed by Prof. W. R. M'Nab for variously named 

 organs and processes in plants. 



Instead of using " oophore " to express the sexual form of a plant, 

 he suggests gametophore ; and as this may be either male or female, 

 androgametophore and gynogametophore serve to distinguish them. 

 The sexual cells themselves are androgametes or gynogametes, instead 

 of "zoosperms" and "egg-cells." The union of these two by a 

 process of " zygosis " will give rise to a zygote or " ovum." The 

 organ in which these sexual cells are formed are androgametangia and 

 gynogametangia, instead of the typical " antheridium " and "arche- 

 gonium." In this way a more uniform set of words is used for similar 

 stages in the asexual stages (spore, sporangium and sporophore) : and 

 in the sexual stages (gamete, gametangium and gametophore). 



Moreover, asexual stages are either spores developed in sporangia, 

 or buds which are not so contained, e.g. conidia, gemmaa, and frag- 

 ments of a plant ; and for these latter the author proposes blastidules : 

 whilst blastogenesis would be the process corresponding to sporogenesis. 

 When metagenesis occurs, it is an alternation between gamogenesis 

 and sporogenesis; whilst blastogenesis may occur either in the 

 sporophore or in the gametophore stage. 



B. Physiology. J 



Fertilization by Pollen-tubes.§— Mr. J. Kruttschnitt adduces 

 fresh observations in support of his theory that the fertilization of 

 ovules is effected without the agency of so-called pollen-tubes, the 

 conducting tissue of the style serving to convey the fovilla from the 

 pollen-grains to the entire inner surface of the ovary. 



* Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xiii. (1886) pp. 17-24 (2 pis.). 



t Scientif. Proc. R. Dublin Soc, iv. (1885) pp. 451-4. 



j This subdivision contains (1) Reproduction (including tbe formation of the 

 Embryo and accompanying processes); (2) Germination ; (3) Nutrition ; (4) Growth; 

 (5) Respiration ; (6) Movement ; and (7) Chemical processes (including Fermen- 

 tation). 



§ Proc. Amer. Soc. Micr., 8th Ann. Meeting, 1885, pp. 62-5 (1 pi.). 



