ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
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capsule contains from 400 to 500 spores ; and tlieir dispersion appears 
to be effected both by drops of rain and by aquatic animals. 
Antherid of Targionia.* * * § — Miss Effio B. M'Fadden describes the 
development of the antherids of Targionia hypophylla. They arise in 
acropetal succession from single superficial cells of the dorsal segment 
of the apical cell. The first division of the primary cell is transverse, 
separating the antherid proper from the stalk-cell. The wall-cells of 
the antherid are very large and distinct, and fill the whole cavity between 
the body of the antherid and the wall of the cavity. 
Dixon’s British Mosses.f— Mr. H. N. Dixon and Mr. H. G. Jameson 
publish a monograph of British Mosses. The classification and the 
nomenclature are founded on those of Schimper. Every species and 
sub-species described is represented in the plates, the drawings having 
been made from nature by means of the camera lucida. To the syste- 
matic portion is prefixed a general sketch of the structure of Mosses, to 
which is appended a glossary. 
Algae. 
Life-History of Rhabdonia.J — Mr. W. J. Y. Osterliout has followed 
out the life-history of Hhabdonia tenera , belonging to the Floridese. 
The procarp is usually a three-celled branch borne on one of the lateral 
branches of the cortex. The terminal cell of the branch produces an 
abruptly recurved trichogyne, which makes its way to the surface, and 
the antlierozoid (pollinoid) unites with it at the tip. The trichogyne 
then loses its connection with the trichophore, and the latter puts out 
one or two conjugating tubes, which make their way through the medulla 
toward the tip of the frond, and unite with the auxiliary cells. The 
auxiliary cell, after the conjugating tube reaches and conjugates with 
it, gives rise to a mass of radiating filaments which bear at the ends 
short branching filaments of cells ; these become the spores. 
Like others of the larger Florideee, Bhabdonia tenera produces 
numerous proliferations, which are independent plants arising from tbe 
germination of tetraspores ; but the whole contents of a tetrasporange 
is required for the production of one of these plants. The young plants 
produced in this way often bear antherids, and occasionally tetraspores 
and cystocarps ; but two kinds of reproductive organ never occur on the 
same proliferation. 
Cystocarp of Griffithsia.§ — Miss A. A. Smith describes in detail the 
formation of the cystocarp in Griffiths' a Bornetiana and G. corallina. The 
fruiting branch arises from the apex of a joint in the upper portion of 
a shoot, other fruiting branches being then formed from the succeeding 
joints. The carpogone is the terminal cell of a carpogenic branch nearly 
triangular in outline, and is prolonged into the trichogyne from the 
pointed apex. Fusion of a pollinoid with the contents of the trichogyne 
was not observed, nor between the contents of the carpogone aud of the 
supporting cell. The clusters of spores (favellse) are derived from a 
cell cut off from the supporting cell, and are surrounded by a gelatinous 
* Bull. Torrey Bnt. Club, xxiii. (1896) pp. 242-4 (1 pi.). 
t ‘ Students Hand-Book of British Mosses,’ London, 1896, xlvi. and 520 pp. and 
60 pis. + Ann. Bot., x. (1896) pp. 403-27 (2 pis.). 
§ Bot. Gazeite, xxii. (1896) pp. 35-47 (2 pis.). 
