92 On the development of the Sporce of Anthoceros Icevis. 



wall of the mother-cellule thus to form septa, it would have 

 been different. 



But matters now become enigmatical, because that the 

 septa emanate from the wall of the mother-cellule, and be- 

 come regulated according to the position of the granular 

 cellules which manifest no organic relation with the mother- 

 cellule. It is difficult to say that I have not succeeded in 

 observing something here of mechanical influence, or it may 

 be a question whether this relation of the position of septa 

 opposite that of the granular cellules depends on certain 

 dynamic influence ; but I presume to be able to infer that it 

 is not the manifestation of four or six septa which determines 

 the formation of four sporae, and that the entire formation 

 of the sporae is produced from the membrane of the mother- 

 cellule, but on the contrary the septa are only the conse- 

 quence of development of the substance contained in the 

 mother-cellule. 



If I have formerly announced that the internal membrane 

 of the sporae is formed before the external, and that in many 

 cases this latter is cellular, I am bound to acknowledge this 

 observation as erroneous, which was suggested to me by the 

 circumstance of the membrane of the sporae being at first 

 uniform, colourless, and smooth, in a word, it resembled the 

 internal membrane ; and that it is only sometime after this 

 that it changes its nature ; this is the circumstance I had 

 not previously remarked. 



The membrane of the sporae forms at first, as it appears, a 

 coagulated, and solidified mucilage, smooth on the exterior ; 

 afterwards there are inequalities formed on the external 

 surface (as in the Anthoceros), or rather a plexus of patelli- 

 form eminences, without (as I previously presumed) we had 

 a right to consider this plexus as the formation of a proper 

 membrane, and more especially of a cellular membrane. The 

 membrane of the sporae becomes so intimately applied to the 

 mother-cellule, that all the eminences correspond ; to the 



