A zolla filiculoides , Lam. 167 
ment, and I was unable to find fresh specimens with ripe 
antheridia and so failed to see the free spermatozoids ; other- 
wise my observations on the antheridium were fairly complete. 
The indusium decays slowly and the sporangia are thus 
set free, after which the wall of the latter also decays, and 
the massulae escape into the water. Contrary to the state- 
ments usually made, it was found that the ripe sporangia, 
and also the massulae themselves, sink at once to the bottom 
when placed in clear water. When entangled in the remains 
of the plant, it is true that they float, but this is not due 
To their own buoyancy, but to the air in the tissues of the 
stem and leaves. 
As soon as the sporangium-wall is decayed, the glochidia 
stand out straight from the surface of the massulae. As 
they come in contact with the macrospore, they fasten them- 
selves to it by means of the anchor-like ends of the glochidia. 
The contents of the microspores are not very dense, and 
they contain but little granular matter. The nearly central 
nucleus, which is not very rich in chromatin, shows a more 
or less conspicuous nucleolus. The first indication of 
germination is the rupturing of the exospore along three 
radiating lines at the top, and the protrusion of a papilla 
through this (Fig. 29). This papilla is then cut off by a 
wall near the top of the spore-cavity, and forms at once 
the mother- cell of the single antheridium. The next divisions 
were not satisfactorily made out. According to Belajeff 1 , 
the next divisions are nearly parallel to the first and divide 
the antheridium into three cells, one above another, and 
of these only the middle one undergoes further division. 
For some reason which is not clear from his account, 
Belajeff does not regard the whole of the upper cell as 
an antheridium, but states that the latter is only formed 
after five vegetative cells are cut off. It seems much 
more in accordance with what obtains in the related homo- 
sporous forms to regard the whole of the upper part of the 
pro thallium as an antheridium. In spite of his statement 
1 loc. cit. p. 329. 
