Linncean Society. 281 



scribed by Mr. Brown, and which Mr. Henfrey believes Prof. Schleiclen 

 to have mistaken for the pollen-tube. On the 3rd of June, the 

 author again satisfied himself that the vesicle within the embryo-sac 

 (the germinal vesicle) is the first cell of the embryonic body ; it 

 generally exhibits a slight collection of protoplasm at its base, and 

 soon after the pollen-tube reaches the surface of the embryo- sac 

 divides into two cells, the upper dividing again and growing out into 

 the articulated filament, the cells of which are formed by the pro- 

 duction of septa in the same way as in confervas, hairs of phanero- 

 gamous plants, &c. ; the mucilaginous layer (or primordial utricle of 

 Mohl) being rendered very evident by the application of iodine. At 

 the same time the lower part of the embryonic body enlarges and 

 soon perfectly fills the embryo-sac, the process of cell-formation by 

 which the embryo is produced varying apparently in different cases. 

 Generally the lowest cell enlarges very much and becomes filled 

 with dark mucilaginous matter, and then this is soon divided into a 

 number of cells by the formation of septa. In some cases two of the 

 germinal vesicles undergo development and two confervoid filaments 

 are produced. 



From these observations Mr. Henfrey concludes that the embryo 

 is really produced by the ovule itself; that the germinal vesicle exists 

 within the embryo- sac before the pollen exerts its influence ; that 

 the pollen-tube penetrates the coats of the ovule to reach the em- 

 bryo-sac ; and that the passage of the pollinic fluid through the in- 

 tervening membranes impregnates the germinal vesicle and deter- 

 mines its development into an embryo. The investigations having 

 been made with every precaution, and the results being in perfect 

 accordance with those of Amici, Mohl, Muller and others, he be- 

 lieves them to be a sufficient refutation of Schleiden's views so far 

 as the plant in question is concerned. He regards, however, as 

 points requiring further investigation, the question whether the whole 

 of the pistillary cords are composed of filaments directly produced 

 by the pollen granules ; whether there is any relation between the 

 application of the pollen on the stigma and the development of the 

 germinal vesicles ; and whether the production of the confervoid 

 filaments is a normal process, which is open to doubt when only ob- 

 served in ovaries containing such an abundance of ovules as those 

 of Orchis Morio. 



Read also a notice of a species of Monodontomerus , parasitic in 

 the cells of Anthophora retusa, contained in a letter addressed to, and 

 communicated by, Adam White, Esq., F.L.S. &c. 



Referring to the Monodontomerus described by Mr. Newport at 

 the last Meeting, of which an account will be found at page 279, 

 Mr. Smith remarks that it is identical with a species which he some 

 months ago showed to Mr. Adam White and Mr. Francis Walker, 

 the latter of whom then informed him that it was a new species of 

 Monodontomerus. He adds, that Mr. Walker, in whose hands he 

 placed specimens of both sexes for description, on learning a few 

 days afterwards that Mr. Newport had reared the same insect from 



Ann. # Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. iv. 19 



