88 
pedantic fashions as well as philology. Whatever may be 
their own convictions, men are afraid or ashamed to admit 
the notion of purpose in Nature. There must be a reaction 
against this tyranny of authority, and I should be glad to 
think that it is already beginning. I will conclude with the 
reproduction of the Algae. Low as they stand in the scale of 
vegetation, they in common with the fungi possess a bewilder- 
ing multiplicity of reproductive processes. It is impossible to 
do more than select one or two cases. The common Fuel 
present us with one distinct type. In them the antheridia and 
oogonia are both produced in spherical cavities imbedded in 
the substance of the frond. These cavities communicate by a 
pore with the surrounding water, and through this pore the 
mature reproductive cells escape before fertilisation. The 
germ-cell, when compared with the minute antherozoids, is of 
enormous size, and, as it floats passively about, the latter 
swarm around it likeT>ees, communicate to it a rotating motion 
by their ciliary action, and so fertilise it. 
The beautiful Floridece , or red seaweeds, deviate from this 
plan. Their sperm-cells have no cilia ; they do not move 
about by lashing the water, but drift to and fro. They thus 
come into contact with the trichogyne , an organ which reminds 
us in function of the stigma of Phanerogams. This is the 
topmost of two or three cells forming a short branch, which 
grows into a long transparent mucilaginous hair. The float- 
ing sperm- cells adhere to this hair, and appear to form an 
intimate union with ifc by the absorption of the intervening 
cell- walls. As a result of this act, a kind of fruit is produced, 
the part generally observed by collectors, who are well aware 
of the elegant forms it often assumes, as in the urns of the 
Folysiphonice. 
In addition, however, to this mode of increase, the Floridece 
possess vegetative gemmse, called tetraspores, which germi- 
nate without any act of fertilisation. They are often found 
in fruit-like receptacles, like little pods, or occur on trans- 
formed branchlets, or all over the frond. Hence in red sea- 
weeds a man may pick up four different forms of the same 
species: — (1) a totally barren frond; (2) a frond with 
antheridia ; (8) a frond with oogonia; (4) a frond with 
tetraspores. In some rare cases, however, both the reproduc- 
tive elements occur on the same plant. Now all this is very 
surprising. I am at a loss to conceive how Natural Selection 
can account for this lavish exuberance of reproductive 
agencies. We seem to have variety for the sake of variety, 
and beauty for the sake of beauty. 
10. In dealing with my subject I have entered into 
