MOSSES. 
79 
shortened. The second, on the other hand, may consist of 
closely united dense parts, which the moisture separates from 
each other. In the case before us, it seems that the thick 
fluid contents of the cells leave a precipitate in the cells of the 
green stalks on being dried, and thus fills them up ; but this 
precipitate is dissolved and absorbed, and otherwise applied 
on the ripening of the capsule, and thus the cells, being 
empty, act like hollow tubes on being dried. 
LICHENES. 
We find an account of H. Korber’s paper, On the Propagation 
of Lichens hy means of Gemmules^ in the general sketch of 
the Works, &c., of the Silesian Society, &c., for the year 1840, 
p. 95. I only extract the following sentence, which appears to 
me to contain the principal matter of this treatise (p. 98) : — - 
‘‘ The individual propagation takes place through means of 
soredia, which form new individuals through an intercellular 
development. This intercellular development is prepared in 
the mother cell by the circumstance, that the primary goni- 
dium, which at first is a distinct spherical cell, developing the 
organisable mucus contained in it into elementary globules. 
Further, the original mother cell is absorbed as soon as this 
is effected, and the soredium has issued from the thallus. The 
soredium is, therefore, nothing more than the contents of the 
mother ceil, which have become free, and which develop a 
connected cellular tissue, from those new cells (globules) which 
are combined together by means of the formative mucus. 
These new cells, therefore, seem to be a kind of cytoblast 
from the original now absorbed mother cells, which, how- 
ever, are still capable of transforming themselves.” 
On examining Loharia pulmonaria, which certainly ex- 
hibits large soredia, it will be seen, that at least with regard 
to them, there is not a word of truth in all that the author has 
stated. Such a soredium is represented in the third volume 
of the Icon. Sel. Anat, Bot. (1841), tab. 5, fig. 11. It will be 
seen, that the internal flocculent matter, which in 5, fig. 13, 
471 
