416 
ALFRED W. BENNETT AND GEORGE MURRAY. 
“ sperm ’’ should, for reasons to be detailed presently, be 
avoided for male organs. In only two important groups, 
Floridem and Lichenes,are the fecundating bodies destitute of 
vibratile cilia and of spontaneous motion; in the former 
case they are still usually termed antberozoids ; in the latter 
" spermatia,” and their receptacles spermogonia.” In 
order to mark the difference in structure from true antbe- 
rozoids, it is proposed to designate these motionless bodies in 
both cases pollinoids ; the term spermogonium is altogether 
unnecessary, the organ being a true antheridium. 
A satisfactory terminology of the female reproductive 
organs presents greater difficulties, from the much greater 
variety of structure, and the larger number of terms already 
in use. The limits we have placed to the use of the term 
spore and its compounds require the abandonment of 
‘‘ oospore ” for the fertilised ovum or oosphere in its encysted 
state (enclosed in a cell-wall), anterior to its segmentation 
into the embryo ; and this is the most important change 
involved in the new system. 
In devising a term which shall include all those bodies 
which are the immediate result of impregnation, it was 
necessary to take two points specially into account. Firstly, 
the term must be capable of defence on etymological grounds ; 
and secondly, it must, like spore, be capable of ready com- 
bination. After much consideration we have decided on 
proposing the syllable sperm. No doubt the objection will 
present itself that the Greek anip/jia, like the Latin semen,” 
and the English seed ” (as used by old writers), while 
originally meaning the ultimate product of fertilisation, 
came afterwards to signify the male factor in impregnation ; 
and hence, in zoology, terms derived from these roots are 
used for the male fertilising bodies. But the objection applies 
to a much smaller extent to phyto-terminology. Some terms 
compounded from sperm,” as gymnosperm, angiosperm, 
&c., are already familiarly in use in a sense similar to that 
we would indicate ; while of those used in the reversed 
sense, “sperm-cell,” for antherozoid or pollen-grain, has 
never come into general use in this country ; “ spermatozoid ” 
is easily replaced by antherozoid ; “ spermogonium ” is 
simply a peculiar form of antheridium, and “ spermatium ” 
has already been referred to. Accepting this term as the 
least open to objection of any that could be proposed, it will 
be found to supply the basis of a symmetrical system of ter- 
minology, which will go far to redeem the confusion that at 
present meets the student at the outset of his researches. 
For the unfertilised female protoplasmic mass the term 
