GENERAL REMARKS. 



5So 



prosecute any examination as to the modus operandi of these 

 organs; such an examination will be always difficult, and will 

 absolutely require the aid of excellent achromatic compound 

 microscopes. 



From such very imperfect materials, imperfect in extent, 

 and imperfect in means of observation, it may be unreasonable 

 to draw any conclusions, but I cannot refrain from hinling my 

 suspicions that, the bodies I have mentioned, which are sim- 

 ple forms of ramenta, found on, or about the frond or its lobes, 

 perform the same offices, that there are reasons for assigning 

 to the supposed male organs of Musci and Hepaticfe. 



My reasons for the suspicion, are founded on the distinct 

 resemblance of the capitate forms to the anthers of certain 

 Jungermanniaceae, on their peculiar disposition at a particular 

 time, on the changes in appearance that they subsequently 

 undergo, and on the fact alluded to as occurring in Ceterach. 



I omit the appearance of their occassional dehiscence, 

 because it was occasional, and because dehiscence appears to 

 me, by no means essential to the performance of the functions 

 I am disposed to assign to them. 



However numerous the objections to this suspicion may be, 

 and however absurd it may appear to those who view subjects 

 in a partial light, to attribute such important functions to 

 what they call mere scales, or hairs, I believe the objections 

 will disappear, and the absurdity also, on a more extended in- 

 vestigation into these bodies. 



The chief objections appear to be, first, the difficulty in at- 

 tributing the fertilisation of all the lobes of a frond, to the few 

 bodies situate about the lowest lobes in Adiantum, secondly, 

 the fact of those ramenta which cannot be allowed to have 

 exerted any fertilising influence, presenting much the same 

 appearance, and occassionally undergoing the same peculiar 

 changes as those in immediate contiguity with the future seat 

 of the fructification ; thirdly, the apparent uniformity in situ- 

 ation, and want of any relation between the situation of the 

 supposed male organs ; lastly the great variety in the situation 



4 A 



