^joumS. SrnS'T Observations on Mucor Mucedo. 143 
adherent to the stalk, of a brown tint with often a ragged outHne 
towards the neck. If one of the nearly ripe heads be viewed from 
beneath, the edges of what on a side view appeared as a more or 
less globular body, are seen to be folded in towards the expansion 
of the stem as if a solid body, as the closed hand, were pushed into 
a bladder partly filled with water, or somewhat like a raspberry. 
What has taken place seems to be this : — The " core " and outer 
membrane are at first closely applied, but as growth proceeds 
germinal matter is formed between them, whilst in their expansion 
the junction remains near the neck, the space between the two 
membranes becomes gradually filled with a fine cellular structure, 
the remains of which are seen afterwards on both surfaces, and here 
the spores are elaborated, the central "core" keeping up the supply 
received through the rootlets, or perhaps even the surface of the 
mycelium. The contents in the "core" retain their connection 
with the stem, difierentiation, in some of the heads at least, pro- 
ceeds, and larger denser cells with several nuclei or daughter cells 
are formed, these when perfected being found with the ordinary 
spores ; they are figured at (e), and cannot well be confounded with 
the others. Of tJieir further history, as yet, I know nothing. 
Whether they may turn out to be an unknown sexual condition of 
the ordinary spore, or the phase of another form of plant suited for 
growth in media where the chemical constituents have been altered 
by the germination of the original plant or resting spores, is doubtful. 
Whilst endeavouring to obtain a clue to this inquiry, some of 
the mycelium was taken from the ripe cherry with a few perfect 
plants or heads attached, and when under examination a drop of 
water was allowed to run under the cover, suddenly the whole field 
was flooded with minute bodies, enough even to confound a stanch 
Heterogenist or delight a Panspermist. I had not seen them hitherto. 
They were of various shapes, round, oval, oblong, with blunted 
ends, naviculoid, some united at their bases, and moved freely in the 
mingled fluid (/). With high magnifying powers, and under 
various methods of illumination, the cause of the movement was 
undiscernible. 
The question naturally arose. Whence came those schizonema- 
tous (?) bodies, — did they belong to the mucor, — were they sexual 
representatives, — did they arise from the development of large 
spores or cells (e), — were they parts of another genus or species, &c., 
for I did not regard them as ordinary bacteria ? 
Experiments seemed the only method likely to determine this 
point, at least in part ; they have hitherto failed in my hands, as 
will be seen, but are still under consideration. 
Searching over the same slide, a few ruptured integuments of 
spores were seen (h), and with some of the somewhat oblong 
spores (^■) from near the neck were noticed a few cells of a deli- 
