ARCHER — ON TWO NEW SPECIES IN SAPROLEGNIEJE. 137 



viduality. The views of some authors, if hereafter borne out by future 

 observation, that some of these run through certain early stages upon 

 house flies — having, as is stated, actually commenced their growth in 

 their blood — and that they perfect their development as Saprolegnise 

 only on falling accidentally into water, would merely show that here an 

 "alternation of generation" may occur, not less surprising than that 

 which has been already established in other departments. The same 

 plants — forms which give rise to an evidently fertilized oospore — again 

 and again present themselves. These, I should hold, must have de- 

 scended either directly, or through whatever may be the characteristic 

 intervening stages, from a similar pre-existent plant. This would, at 

 least, appear to me a more reasonable supposition than that any number 

 of given germs evolved from the same parent form should, some of them, 

 develope into one definite form, with a certain set of conditions, and 

 that others of them should develope into some other equally definite 

 forms, with certain other sets of conditions. 



Hence, I think, when we meet with certain combinations of condi- 

 tions, and certain specialities in figure, of the reproductive organs, not 

 shown by known forms in this group, we are justified in looking upon 

 such as distinct species. The present forms, then, in themselves quite 

 distinct, seem to demand a record. 



When I met with the first form to which I would draw attention 

 (Plate VI., fig. 1), I was momentarily under the impression that I had 

 encountered a gynandrosporous type of fructification in the Saprolegniese. 

 The existence of this type one might, a priori, be disposed to believe 

 likely, even were it not, indeed, all but directly proved by Pringsheim's 

 observations.* But a closer inspection speedily proves, not only that 

 there is here merely a superficial resemblance to the gynandrosporous 

 type, but also, as will be seen, that the plant is truly monoecious, 

 though presenting what seems to be a sufficiently noteworthy modifica- 

 tion of the structure in other described monoecious species. 



Beyond doubt, the present plant seems to be a very well-marked 

 new species ; but, as before mentioned, from not seeing the zoospore- 

 condition, its generic location remains uncertain. However, I should be 

 disposed to regard it as most probable that this plant, should it be again 

 met with, may be found to appertain to the genus Saprolegnia. The 

 reason for leaning to this genus is that, in one instance, in the mass 

 made by the plant, three seeming sporangia evacuated by zoospores, one 

 within the other, each showing a terminal opening, were observed — so 

 far characteristic of Saprolegnia. 



Setting aside, however, the generic characters, this plant is specifi- 

 cally characterized (I believe from every other Saprolegniaceous plant 

 yet described) by its true fruit, in the following manner : — 



Saprolegnia androgyna, sp. nov. Pig. 1. 



* " Jahrbiicher ftir wissenschaftliche Botanik," Band ii., p. 213, "Nachtrage zur 

 Morphologie der Saprolegnien." 



