io Tans ley and Chick . — Notes on the 
distance was traversed by the solution in the course of half 
an hour, while in one hour the solution was visible in the 
strand, 14 mm. above the surface of the liquid. Similar results 
were obtained in other trials. A difficulty is introduced, 
however, by the running up of the eosin on the surface of the 
thallus, obscuring the view, and staining the tissue. The eosin 
also spreads very rapidly from the strand to the cortex of the 
midrib, so that the whole rib becomes coloured not far behind 
the highest level which the solution has reached in the strand. 
The above results are, however, sufficient to show that water 
certainly will rise in the strand more quickly than through 
the surrounding tissues, though very much more slowly than 
Haberlandt records for the conducting strands of the Mosses. 
We failed several times in getting the eosin solution to rise 
in the strands of newly formed upright branches which arise 
from the ventral surface of the midrib. This suggests that 
the discontinuity of their axial strands with that of the parent 
axis puts a real obstacle in the way of rapid conduction. 
The strands of the other species of P allavicinia, and those 
of Symphyogyna and Hymenophyton , agree with that of 
P. Lyellii in all essential respects. They may differ, though 
we have not examined enough material to be sure that such 
differences may not exist within a species, in the number and 
size of the cells, the thickness of the walls, and the number 
and inclination of the pits. These last characters, however, 
certainly vary in the same strand. 
We had rather expected to find that the forms with a 
creeping thallus, and consequently with all their cells compara- 
tively close to the absorbing rhizoids, would have less-developed 
strands than the forms with large assimilating axial fronds 
rising freely above a creeping rhizome. On the whole our 
results bear out this expectation. It is probable that more 
light would be obtained on such relations as these by a careful 
study of the plants under their natural conditions. 
Of the sub-genus Mittenia (Gott.) Schiffiner, in which there 
are stalked fronds arising from a rhizome-like base, we have 
exam me& P.decipiens from Ceylon, and have practically nothing 
