lo Bratinon. — The Strticture and Development, of 



Germination of Spores. 



The carpospores and tetraspores having been separated in 

 the manner above mentioned, experiments in germination 

 were undertaken without possibility of confusing the respective 

 action. 



Because of Protozoa and minute Crustaceans, which greedily 

 devoured the growing spores, great difficulty was experienced 

 in the observation of their development. Immunity from 

 these creatures was obtained by using water which had been 

 kept for an hour at a temperature of 95° C, so as to secure 

 a high temperature with but little evaporation, and thus to 

 prevent a larger percentage of salt than is present in normal 

 sea-water. Had water containing an excess of salt been 

 used, it would have proved, according to Oltmann's experi- 

 ments, destructive to germination. 



After the water had cooled sufficiently, it was slowly 

 filtered through a sand and cotton filter, an operation which 

 secured a twofold object — removal of foreign bodies, and 

 thorough aeration. Following these methods, the germination 

 of carpospores and tetraspores gave very satisfactory results. 



In the beginning of the process of germination, the gelatinous 

 envelope, which upon application of chlor-iodide of zinc 

 gives a cellulose-reactionj is secreted, and is arranged in two 

 to three concentric layers about the carpospores (Fig. 5 b, c,d) ; 

 while the single layer which surrounds the tetraspores is 

 comparatively thin and homogeneous. With subsequent 

 imbition of water the spores swell and become lighter- 

 coloured, the form also changing from elliptical to egg- or 

 oval-shape (Figs. ^ a, b; $b,c, d). Cell-division first makes 

 itself manifest by transverse fission at the apical end, from 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours after the spores are deposited, 

 a process which is usually repeated at corresponding intervals, 

 giving rise to a filament of from three to five cells. While 

 this filamentous growth is taking place at the apical end, 

 simultaneous or closely succeeding development begins at 

 the basal portion of the spore (Fig. 6 b, b') ; and after the 



