26 



Prof. F. 0. Bower. 



Val Bedretto (All' Acqua, 5265 feet). 



The plants were exceedingly abundant in this part of the valley, 

 both on the lower grass slopes and close to the stream ; in both 

 places the great majority belonged to the hairy type. Intermediates 

 of the more hairy kind occurred here and there, generally in patches. 

 The very smooth type was not common. 



Yal Canaria (Airolo, about 3900 feet). 



Here the plants, which were only moderately abundant on the 

 grass slopes, were all hairy. 



Valley of the "Rhone (at the foot of the glacier). 

 A few plants were growing on the shingle in the river bed, all very 

 hairy. 



Valley of the Rhone (Ulrichen, 4380 feet). 



Only a very few plants were found, all very hairy. 



Valley of the Rhone (Eginen Thai). 



Plants numerous, both glabrous and hairy occurring together ; a 

 few of the hairier forms of intermediates were also found. 



Val d'Anniviers and neighbourhood of Berisal (Simplon). 



According to Mr. Bateson's observations in the preceding year 

 Biscutella plants were abundant in both these localities ; in the 

 former all the plants were very hairy, in the latter the hairy type 

 predominated, but some hairy intermediates were also found. 



" Studies in the Morphology of Spore-producing Members. 

 Part III. Marattiacese." By F. 0. Bower, Sc.D., F.R.S., 

 Regius Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow. 

 Received May 27— Read June 17, 1897. 



(Abstract.) 



The memoir, of which this is an abstract, deals with the sori of all 

 the four living genera of Marattiacece ; the development has been 

 traced in Angiopteris and Marattia from the earliest stages to 

 maturity, in Dancea and Kaulfussia from such early condition as the 

 material would permit. Some of the results from Dancea have been 

 already submitted to the Society in a preliminary statement.* One 

 result of the investigation has been to demonstrate, as regards their 

 development, the substantial unity of type of the sporangia in the 

 four genera. In all of them a single " superficial parent cell " of 

 prismatic form is to be recognised embedded in the massive sporan- 

 gium when young, not in a central position, but directed obliquely 



* « Roy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 59, p. 141. 



