,86 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



exhibit under the microscope. The terms " pollination " and 

 " fertilization," he said, were often used rather loosely and 

 indiscriminately. Pollination referred to the transfer of the pollen 

 from the anther of the flower to its stigma, or to the stigma of 

 another flower of the same species ; in this latter case it was an 

 example of cross-pollination. Fertilization, on the other hand, 

 had, strictly speaking, to do with the transfer of the reproductive 

 nucleus of the individual pollen grain from the stigma of the 

 flower upon which it had been deposited to the ovule of the same 

 flower, and to its fusion there with the ovum, or egg-cell. It was 

 with this latter phase of the process that the micro-slides to be 

 shown mainly deal ; pollination would only be touched on 

 incidentally. The lecturer then explained very clearly, by the aid 

 of large scale, specially prepared, drawings, the structural features 

 of the reproductive organs of dicotyledonous flowers, and more 

 especially the ovaries. He pointed out on these diagrammatic 

 sections the successive changes which took place between the 

 pollination and the final stages of the fertilization. Early in the 

 life of the anther four sacs were formed containing mother-pollen 

 cells ; these sub-divided twice, giving rise to pollen grains. When 

 ripe, the sacs, or containing envelopes, burst, and the grains 

 escaped ready to hand for pollination agencies. After pollination, 

 the cellular outgrowth from the pollen grain, known as the pollen 

 tube, made its way along the central organ of the flower from the 

 stigma to the ovary, and there the male nucleus and the female 

 nucleus coalesced, and the union was complete. As soon as the 

 fusion of the pollen and the ovum nuclei had taken place, 

 secondary processes at once came into operation, to provide for 

 the future of the embryo. In the latter part of his paper, the 

 lecturer dealt with the development of the fertilized ovum into the 

 embryo ; and of the ovule into seed. Quoting Kerner, he said 

 that ovaries were generally believed to be built up of carpels, or 

 carpels and receptacle in combination. Carpels were merely 

 modified leaves, and the story of their evolution might be traced 



