ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



219 



fi])inil, and tbuiiil at one eml. where it was i-ciit 

 out of tlie cell, that it was also an entire tibre, 

 and I could sec tliat the wliite spots at the twin- 

 ing was not occasioned by a pore or a hole in 

 the wall of the cell. This observation was very 

 interesliiiji, because it i;a\e me the o]))x>rtunity 

 of exiilainiii";- such white sjiots at the ends of a 

 tender line in the cells of a moss (Sphayaiini 

 p'mbriaturn). which I was unable to do before 



"(Fig-. i;i8). 



[Fig. 1:;.' 



Sphagnum timbriatum. 



This tender line is nothinji' else than a spiral. 

 This fibre could not be isolated from the cellu- 

 lose, but it adhered very fust to it, and broke 

 just at the same place as the cellulose, as \ou can 

 renuirk in the lacerated cells of the edge of a 

 slice. That niij;ht be considered as the tran- 

 sition to the porous cells (cellulosw porostf), 

 in wldch the fibres are so gTOwn together 

 as to appear like a continuous membrane beset 

 with little pores. Close by the fibrous cells 

 you can find them in the pith of Geranium (Fig. 

 137. c). It presented itself in the shape of a 

 ladder, the j)ores are horizontally disposed at 

 equal distances from each other; in the nnddle 

 of each pore you Can see a transverse line divid- 

 ing it into two halves — an etfeet of interference 

 of light. In the thickness of the wall of the cell 

 at both sides, and corresi>ondiiig to the space 

 between the pores, we remark a swelling of the 

 cellulose; this is the result of the growing to- 

 gether of the fibre and wall. 



[Fig. 139.] 



Transverse. LoiiKitudinal. 



Liber cells of (Jinclioiia calisaya. 

 When the inside layers are deposited merely 

 on the entire surface of the cellulose wall, then 

 we have a successive growing of the wall hi a 



regular way, depositing ring upon ring, spiral 

 u))oii spiral, porous layer upon jiorous la\('r: or 

 the layers are deiiosiled irregularly — the first is 

 mostly the case. 



A transverse and a longilndinal slice of liber- 

 cells of the Pel iniaii liaiU {Cinchima calisaya) 

 gives us a splendid illustration of this. Yon 

 can imrsue the ])ores through the entire layer, 

 which has the aspecl of a series of boxes inclos- 

 ing one another. (Fig, 13!l.) 

 [Fis-MO] In the starch-cells of the ro.il of 



//T| Sarsaparilla (Siiiilax sursapuriUa) 



till- pores are dejiosited with regu- 

 larity. I remarked Ihiil. Iiy catling 

 the slice. Die poro iii':n- the edge 

 did not rend: and by adding iodine, 

 the starch inside I lie integer cell 

 (Fig. 140. h). attached with its top 

 to the lower end of this laceialed (■.■11. 

 took ils blue color merely in iiccord- 

 anccMilli the law of Osmose. The 

 .starch granule.- near the lop (Fig. 

 140, a), where they are [i-i^,. ui.] 



separated from the con- 

 ta<-t of the iodine by 

 two iiicinbraiies, col- 

 raj ||o ored first and more 

 intensely, because the 

 capillarit\- sent a large 



Compound starch 

 cell 8ur«apuriUa. 



amount of iodine in that direction. 



• » • 



HOW TO STDDY THE (iRASSES. 



The study of the grasses is attended with 

 some difliculty on account of ihc smallness of 

 the parts composing the flowers, and is under- 

 taken by very few, even of those who study 

 with some care the more conspicuous flowering 

 plants. But for those who will have the patience 

 to attempt their investigation, Nature .spreads 

 out an open and inviting field, and the explorer 

 will be rewarded by discovciics of as great in- 

 terest as in any other department, 



I,et us notice .some of the principal parts, or 

 oro-ans, entering into the flower structure of the 

 grasses. The flowers of grasses are sometimes 

 in spikes, as those of Timothy or llerd's-grass, 

 and sometimes in loose, open panicles, as those 

 of lied-to)). Each spikelet, or smallest subdi- 

 vision of the spike or panicle, whether consisting 

 of a single flower or of a number of flowers, has 

 commonly a pair of outer husks called glumes. 



Each individu.al flower is composed of two 

 inner husks or scales called palea-, three stamens 

 (each consisting of a thread-like stem or fila- 

 meut), a pollen-box or anther, and a pistil, 

 composed of the germ and two hairy or feathery 



