1892.] Botany. 



and four below ; two synergidse, the oos] 

 three antipodal pells and a polar cell be 

 twelve rods, the two sexual "cells have tl 

 elements. The upper polar nucleus bet 

 nucleus of the oosphere. The lower pol 

 vacuole and joins the upper one of the s 

 • •■•lis disappear. The spheres of the syn 



f the two spheres from each copulating nu 

 ucleus is moving down the pollen tube with 

 > the oosphere must so present its spheres as 



ght that this was the rule 

 nd that the office of the synergid» was to transmit the contents of the 

 pollen tube to the oosphere. Whatever be the method of penetration, 

 the male nucleus which arrives first in contact with the emhryo-sac 

 passes through the membrane and rapidly joins the nucleus of the 

 oosphere. Strasburger now thinks that the liquid which directs this 

 amorous flight of the male to the female nucleus is furnished by the 

 synergidse, playing the part which is attributed to malic acid and 

 malates in directing the course of the antherozoids in the cryptogams. 

 Guignard believes that this attraction may reside simply in the proto- 

 plasm of the female cell. 



The male nucleus, as has been shown, is preceded by its two spheres 

 which ii„ side bv side and which are thus brought face to face with the 



