'Sod Exogenous Seeds and Fern Spor . 



possible, avoided this word cotyledon, and have nsed nutrient 

 matter, for it signifies not what the form of the matter, its 

 function is the same, viz., directly to nourish the radix, directly 

 and indirectly to nourish the plumule. Now, in the wheat it 

 simply supplies nourishment to both till it is exhausted, being 

 sufficient, all things being equal, to develop the young plant 

 till it is able to gain its own sustenance. But in the mustard 

 it is the reverse ; there the nutrient matter is not sufficient to 

 support the radix and plumule entirely, so it changes itself 

 into leaves, whereby matter taken up by the radix may go to 

 the support of the plumule ; and this is proved by seeing the 

 leaves in full vigour,, when the plumule can scarce be traced. 

 Moreover, when the plumule is once established, these leaves 

 waste and die, or, if they be plucked off, the plumule will not 

 appear. Now the proof that this matter in the spore nucleus 

 is nutrient, is seen in its wasting in proportion as the radix 

 and primary cell develop, during all which time those ci 

 which have to develop into the future fern are quite rudi- 

 mentary, and not traced for a certainty as yet. Now the 

 mustard cotyledons arc only the rudiments of the two coty- 

 ledonary leaves, for it can be seen that these latter grow. 

 But the prothallium is but an elaboration of the cell (a), 

 derived from the nutrient matter (b). The question is one, 

 therefore, only of degree; and if mustard has one or more 

 cotyledons, the spore must have the same. We need no 

 fanciful resemblances, or else, to look at the prothallium, wo 

 could imagine two cotyledons in one. I have Baid that a seed 

 has a suspensor ; I have pointed out bodies attached to the 

 primary vesicle of a like kind. Moreover, seeds have 

 arillus or extra covering. Figs. 4 and 6 show a covering 

 around many kinds of spores. ■{■' G' mark the appearance of 

 young spores of Hie same kind, showing that, at one s ; 

 of existence, the spore lias not lliis covering; in fact, every 

 intermediate stage w sn. 



[t can be clearly demonstrated that, &i the poinl F,.which 

 marks (lie foramen, the liilum also exists; luii die analogy 

 between a seed and a, Bpore is, I think, sufficiently perl 

 W'h I done then? 1 bave made my fern to partake 



of the nature of a flowering plant minus the flower. And now- 

 one word ae to filicial sponsalia. Where is the marriage-bed? 

 Flowers have an infancy ami manhood, and in this last pro- 

 per time i h<-; Flow erf peculiar, 

 animals do the same; in fact, save i:; one solitary oi 

 throughout animated nature, no individual is said to 1>< 

 it offspring before its own proper self has an; 

 Ehcredib] may seem, one plant is believed by all scien- 

 tific men to-day, to be begotten, to have all its own offspring 



