﻿62 DEBY'S RESEARCHES ON THE CRYPTOGAMIC FLORA 



does not exceed three days, and is dependent on the state of the atmosphere. They 

 gradually grow to four times the primitive size, and as they grow, the narrower ex- 

 tremity lengthens into a kind of beak, or rostrum, which bears the two flagels. This 

 rostrum is always transparent, empty, and is incapable of any kind of motion. Fig. 7. 



The whole cell has a pyriform appearance. It has, from the first period of its 

 existence, secreted an external transpai'ent delicate membrane, which widens and 

 expands every hour, Fig 8. This outer covering seems to be of a gelatinous or 

 semifluid amorphous nature (probably gelatinous gelin). As this outer membrane 

 developes itself it gradually encloses the flagelliform appendages, and proportionately 

 slackens their motions, so as at last to stop these altogether, Fig. 9. These cells are 

 the gonidia of some botanists, the macrogonidia of Braun. 



By degrees the red matter in these gonidia concentrates around their central 

 nucleus, and the outer paler zone acquires a green color. In this green portion (gela- 

 tinous chlorophyll) may be seen, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, larger amy Ion grains, besides smaller 

 specks of the same substance mixed with minute drops of oil, and still minuter par- 

 ticles of globulinar chlorophyll. Fig. 10. 



These cells, if submitted to the ordinary tests, (iodine and sulphuric acid) show 

 that the outer wide membrane is composed of gelin, the quite interior one which is 

 closely applied to the inner surface of the latter being protoplasma (protein substance). 

 The internal green chloryphyll remain unaltered by the tests, but the red portion 

 seems to divide into a number of separate globules, which acquire a deeper and more 

 intense coloring, indicating the presence of protein substance, probably mixed with 

 some oily or waxy compound and some peculiar coloring substance. The coloring 

 matter is soluble in rectified oil of turpentine and in ether, and is, perhaps, a mixture 

 of Erythrophyll and Xanthophyll. These two substances have been proved by Mulder 

 and by Kiitzing to be formed by the disoxygenation of the chlorophyll under the 

 influence of strong light, of cold, and of other causes. The coloring matter of the 

 Chlamidococcus differs from all other red coloring matters in plants (known to me) by 

 its not being turned blue by the action of alkalies. 



The chemical structure of the outer coverings of these adult gonidia show that 

 these cells of Chlamidococcus differ considerably from the swimming spores of many 

 other algse, which I believe to be (as asserted by Kiitzing, Grundziige der philosophi- 

 schen Botanik, p. 295) in nearly all cases, formed externally by an unprotected pro- 

 tein membrane, which it is easy to distinguish from the bassorin cell membrane of the 

 parenchym cells of many cryptogamia by boiling with nitric acid and adding ammonia. 



Each of the first gonidia (cells of the first swimming generation, or cells of tertiary 

 formation) finally becomes stationary, the outer gelin covering hindering all further 

 motions of its flagels. These now disappear, being seemingly re-absorbed into the 

 general coating of protoplasma. The wide outer covering remains unaltered. The 



