4 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



occupy far too much time, and serve no useful purpose, 

 seeing that so much of it would be but a repetition of that 

 which is already well known; as it is, I tear I have little 

 or nothing new to record. 



During the six years, 828 visits have been made to 

 pine woods and pine trees in various places. They have 

 been made at all seasons, even including times of severe 

 frost, and at all hours, both day and night. 794 separate 

 collections of material have been made, and in every 

 instance it was " fixed " at once upon the spot. Several 

 thousand ovules in various stages of development have 

 been sectioned. Of these, special study has been made of 

 653, containing a total of 2,442 archegonia, their 

 condition being at or about the period of fertilisation, and 

 upon these the remarks that follow concerning fertilisa- 

 tion are based. 



It will be my endeavour to lay before you, as 

 accurately as may be, the observations made, but if at any 

 time I depart from observed facts to the regions of 

 speculation, or to the mere expression of opinions, kindly 

 take such speculations or expressions for what they are 

 worth, cum grano salis, or, if you will, cum magna grana 

 satis. I trust, however, you will be able to consider any 

 opinion expressed as having some — if not a sufficient — - 

 basis in the observed facts to warrant it. 



The object of my work has been to trace as minutely 

 as possible the entire process of seed production, 

 beginning with the inception of the micro- and megaspor- 

 angia, and ending with the fully developed seed. To 

 say that the work is far from complete is to give 

 but a faint idea of the numerous gaps yet to fill, and the 

 many problems encountered that still remain unsolved. 

 As presented to 3^011 this evening it must be regarded as 

 a brief summary rather than as a detailed account. 



