Miscellaneous. 
465 
Wm. Stark Dougall, Esq. ; part 3rd, on the Reproduction of Lyco- 
podiacece, Marsileacece and Filices. 
In this portion of the paper, the author first considers Lycopo- 
diaceee, in which he points out two sets of capsules differing in their 
respective contents. In Marsileacece, also, he notices two forms of 
reproductive bodies, and concludes by stating that there is evidence 
in favour of sexual reproduction in the Lycopodial alliance, the Ly- 
copodiacecE being hermaphrodite, and Marsileacea monoecious . In 
Filices, especially Folypodiacece, he points out the existence of anthe- 
ridia associated with filiform bodies, and of thecse or spore-cases. In 
some ferns phytozoa have been detected. He concludes by a general 
review of the whole subject, and expresses an opinion in favour of 
the view that the union of two cellular bodies is required in order to 
form the perfect spore. 
3. Mr. Hamlin Lee exhibited a simple mode of constructing 
aquatic cells for microscopical objects, by splitting across very fiat 
watch-glasses and cementing them to a piece of glass so as to leave 
cavities for holding fluid. 
Dr. Balfour noticed a few plants gathered at Arniston on the 25th 
of March last. Eighteen phanerogamous plants were observed in 
flower, including officinalis, Lathraa squamaria, Galanthus 
nivalis, &c. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
On some Microscopic Organisms found in the Stomach of a Peruvian 
Freshwater Fish. By Prof. Ehrenberg. 
M. Valenciennes having discovered in the stomach and in the 
intestinal canal of Lebiasina himaculata, a new genus of fish belong- 
ing to the family Erythrini, a number of Infusoria, forwarded them 
to Prof. Ehrenberg to determine the species. The stomach and in- 
testinal canal were filled as far as Bauhin's ventricle with a blackish 
or reddish mud. The river in which this small fish lives is said to flow 
from the Titicaca lake, and we thus obtain, by means of the micro- 
scopic organisms contained in the stomach of this fish, the first 
glance into the forms of the interior of Peru. 
From Ehrenberg’s examination of several hundred kinds of fish, it 
resulted that they very rarely and only accidentally contain isolated 
specimens of infusoria taken up with their food in the contents of 
their stomach and intestinal canal, a circumstance of importance in 
deciding the question respecting the origin of guano. This is gene- 
rally regarded as the product of the numerous piscivorous birds in- 
habiting these localities. As these birds do not take in either water 
or mud purposely in any quantity, the infusoria could only have been 
contained in the fish upon which they had fed*. This difficulty was 
pointed out in a former communication, and the main part in the 
formation of the guano ascribed to the vermiferous shore birds. 
* This conclusion appears to us unnecessary ; it is far move probable 
that during the process of formation of these valuable deposits, spray con- 
taining multitudes of the infusoria may have been carried on to it. — W. F. 
Ann. by Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. \. 31 
