142 
OF THE MOSSES AND THEIR ALLIES. 
for his self-denial. Of course there are cases in which he 
has but little chance of seeing the spot a second time ; there 
is no help for him then but to secure the prize while he 
can. There are a few cases too in which the plants rarely, 
if ever, develop their organs of fructification. Here again 
he must ‘ take things as he finds them ; ’ it would be of no 
use to wait, and he must be satisfied with sterile examples. 
[The reproductive organs of Mosses consist of so-called 
antheridia and pistillidia, or archegones. The former 
are minute globular or oval bodies, supported on a short 
pedicel, and, when ripe, discharging a granular matter, 
which has been likened to pollen. They are usually 
associated with a number of jointed cellular filaments 
or paraphyses, the 1 fila succulenta * of Hedwig. These 
antheridia are considered to be the representatives of the 
stamens, or male organs of the flowering plants. The 
pistillidia, on the other hand, minute flask-shaped bodies, 
swollen at the base, are looked upon, as their name implies, 
as corresponding to the pistils, or female organs of the 
Phanerogamia. By degrees they are developed into the 
long stemmed capsule, or theca, so conspicuous in most 
Mosses by their bright chestnut colour. 
Now it is requisite, if possible, that the student should 
provide himself with examples of each of these organs, not 
only because of the interest attached to them, but from the 
increasing tendency of museologists to base their systems of 
classification on these minute structures. — Ed.] 
It frequently happens, however, that Mosses are dioe- 
cious ; that is to say, the two kinds of reproductive organs 
are situated on separate plants, the mature female of course 
being the most conspicuous. This is exactly analogous to 
what occurs among the true sexual plants ; but then their 
parts, as a rule, are evident enough, whereas among the 
Mosses and their allies the same parts, at any rate at first, 
are strictly microscopic. All we can recommend to the 
student is, to make diligent search. If the antheridia are 
not to be found in the 1 pistillidiferous ’ specimens, he should 
