_ a 
32 HUMPHREY 
fruiting organs quite as advanced as those of Zargionia or 
Fimbriaria. As for Cryptomitrzum, it is not surprising to find 
so few antheridia, for even as late as the first week of February 
sections of Crypfiomitrium revealed the presence of mature 
antheridia while in the case of zmbrizarza they may be found 
almost ripe before the beginning of the wet season. Abrams!’ 
in his studies of Crypftomztrium found that the antheridia 
matured earlier than the archegonia and informs me that he 
found fairly well advanced stages of the antheridium as early 
as November. In FPored/a not only all stages in the develop- 
ment of sex organs are to be found but well-developed sporo- 
phytes as well. This accounts for the very sudden appearance 
of mature sporophytes shortly following a few days of wet 
weather. Growing as it ordinarily does on the exposed sur- 
faces of rocks and tree trunks, it is liable to severe exposure 
and may be left quite dry in a few hours of wind or sunshine. 
This fact may have some influence upon its reproductive habits 
and, in a measure, account for the advanced sporogonia found in 
revived material. At any rate Forella is scarcely to be com- 
pared with such thallose forms as /tzccza or Targzonia. ‘The dif- 
ferences in habit and structure might well beget differences rela- 
tive to the appearance and time of development of the sex organs. 
In another part of this paper the writer mentions having 
found Fossombronia longiseta so situated out of doors as to re- 
ceive a constant supply of moisture from a leak in a water 
pipe. Many of these plants were examined on November I 
very near the close of the dry season and were found bearing 
embryos in various stages of development and in some instances 
well advanced sporogonia as shown in Fig. 1. By the first of 
January the spores and elaters had matured and some capsules 
had already dehisced. 
Not having observed these plants at the time of fertilization 
it cannot be definitely said just when the antheridia and arche- 
gonia matured. However, the approximate date may be ascer- 
tained by observing the rate of development of the sporogonium 
and of the ripening of the spores. In 1904 the first rain of 
1Abrams, 1899: Structure and Development of Cryftomttrium tenerum. 
Botanical Gazette, Vol. 28, pp. II0-I21. 
“et 
ul SG ee 
