1 
10 Wenham, on the Vegetable Cell. 
thickened and gelatinous-looking masses of cells ; h are cell 
prolongations, or the successive rudiments of stellate hairs. 
I may remark, in conclusion, that I am aware that some of 
the facts relating to vegetable growth herein mentioned are 
not new, but information on this subject exists in so scattered 
a form that there is some difficulty in making special references. 
Addendum. 
In order that there may be no misapprehension of my 
views, with respect to cellular creation, I append the following 
summary of the succeeding stages : — 
The first appearance of the formation of vegetable cells is 
a simple protuberance filled with protoplasm, alike throughout 
in substance. This is enclosed by a skin or membrane, the 
origin of the future leaf cuticle, but which, I presume, at this 
early period, would be termed the " periplast." A number 
of irregular cavities (vacuoles), filled with watery cell sap, 
now make their appearance. These are simply formed by 
the separation and agglutination of the viscous protoplasm. 
A thin lining membrane is next developed in the interior of 
each cavity ; this does not become detached at any after 
period, but is, in fact, the inner stratum of the future cell- 
wall. The membrane is thickened into a true cell- wall by the 
direct transmutation into cellulose of the protoplasm existing 
between, and exterior to the cell cavities. 
It is not until the cell-wall has advanced to a well-marked 
degree of development that any protoplasm is generated within 
the cell. This now rapidly makes its appearance, and spreads 
itself within the cell-wall. Hence arises the question whether 
this, when in the form of an internal layer, is explicitly un- 
derstood if termed the " primordial utricle ?" In this case 
primordial is certainly inapplicable, because protoplasm does 
not make its appearance in the cell cavity before it is some- 
what advanced in growth, and sometimes is not even seen, 
until subsequently to the formation of minute starch granules 
adherent to the cell-walls. 
By the application of a reagent, the protoplasmic layer, 
from being extremely prone to coagulation, can be made to 
contract like a membrane upon the cell contents, but I ques- 
tion whether the term membrane, or utricle, is to be properly 
applied to a motile but viscous fluid, which at times will run 
together in patches and clots, and leave large portions of the 
cell-wall bare. There is perhaps no reason against the pro- 
priety of the term when applied to some unicellular plants, in 
which the appearance and uses of such a membrane are so 
distinctly to be observed. 
