XINNEAN SOCIETY OP lONDON, IxXXV 



to have only the same function to fulfil with regard to the arche- 

 gonium — that if the contents of the pollen-tube may be properly 

 taken to represent the male element, the equivalent of this male 

 element should be recognizable separately in the antherozoid — and 

 that in fact the antherozoid is composed of two distinct portions, the 

 motile apparatus and the impregnating element. The author's 

 conclusion is that the active antherozoid is in reality only a con- 

 ducting agent (agent de transport) for bringing about the junction 

 of the two sexual elements. 



Dr. Nylander continues his lichenological studies, and has recently 

 published general enumerations of the lichens of New Caledonia 

 and of those of New Granada, the latter as a portion of Triana's 

 ' Prodromus Florae Novogranatensis.' 



The fierce party conflict, of which France was the chief arena, on 

 the question of spontaneous generation, mentioned in my Address of 

 1863, has been since carried on, although it seems in some measure 

 to have calmed down for want of new facts to argue upon, each 

 party, at least some individuals of each party, professing to have 

 silenced the other. The chief question of fact in dispute seems to 

 be the following : — If an organic substance in dissolution be exposed 

 in an hermetically closed vessel to a heat sufficient to destroy all 

 living organisms or germs it may contain, will living Vibrios appear 

 in it without the admission of the external air supposed to contain 

 their germs ? And numerous are the experiments, apparently con- 

 ducted with the greatest care, which have been brought forward 

 as i)roving the affirmative or the negative. This was already the 

 state of the case five years ago, and remains so still; and I should 

 not again have mentioned the subject but that seme curious facts, 

 bearing upon the question and narrowing in some measure the 

 disputable ground, have been brought forward by some ingenious 

 and evidently careful experiments made by Professor Wyman, of 

 Harvard College, Cambridge, U.S., leading him to the following, 

 amongst other conclusions : — 



1. In thermal waters, plants belonging to the lower kinds of 

 Algae live in water the temperature of which in some instances rises 

 as high as 208° Fahr. 



2. Solutions of organic matter boiled for twenty-five minutes, and 

 exposed only to air which had passed through iron tubes heated to 

 redness, become the seat of infusorial life. 



3. Similar solutions contained in flasks hermetically sealed and 

 then immersed in boUing-water for periods varying from a few 



