244 Note. 
contained the large definitive nucleus with its enormous nucleolus, no formation 
of endosperm having taken place. 
It is possible that if this ovule had been allowed to develop it would have 
produced two seedlings on germination. It may be recalled that Gaertner 1 grew two 
exactly similar individuals from a single seed of Dianthus barbalusx D. superbus , 
another hybrid in a genus closely related to Lychnis. 
No similar case to the present appears to be recorded in the literature. The 
nearest example is described by Schacht 2 in Cheira?ithus Cheiri, There the forma- 
tion of more than one embryo-sac seems to be a frequent occurrence ; and in one 
case Schacht mentions the entrance of two pollen -tubes into a single ovule. He 
remarks, however, that it appears that never more than one egg-cell is fertilized. 
The fact that two pollen-tubes should enter and fertilize an ovule which had 
developed two embryo-sacs can hardly be a mere coincidence ; rather it would seem 
to indicate a quantitative relation between embryo-sac and pollen-tube in the matter of 
chemotaxis, two embryo-sacs excreting sufficient of the chemotropic substance to 
attract two pollen-tubes. 
R. H. COMPTON. 
Cambridge. 
July, 19 1 1. 
1 Gaertner : Bastarderzeugung. Stuttgart, 1849, p. 53. 
2 Schacht: Uber Pdanzen-Befruchtung. Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot., i, 1858, p. 202. 
