328 Saxton . — Contributions to the Life-history of 
Coulter (4), in a paper reprinted in Coulter and Chamberlains 
4 Morphology of Gymnosperms ’ (5), makes the following statement : 4 In 
cases where the pollen-tube assumes a lateral position in reference to the 
gametophyte (as in Sequoia and Widdringtonia ), it has been demonstrated 
that the latter responds by the selection of numerous deep-seated and 
laterally placed archegonium initials. 5 I am not prepared to say whether, 
in point of fact, the prothallus of Widdringtonia does, or does not, behave 
in the way described, but I am not aware of any published work on the 
genus which justifies a statement that it does behave in this manner. 
What has been stated, and it applies equally to Callitris and Actinostrobus , 
is that archegonia (that is, fully formed archegonia, capable of further 
development when fertilized) are organized only in relation to pollen-tubes. 1 
In another place Coulter and Chamberlain (5) remark, in connexion with 
Widdringtonia and Callitris , ‘This position (i. e. of the pollen-tube) seems 
to determine the selection of archegonium initials, which begin to appear in 
groups beneath the surface.’ This is an equally misleading statement. 
Considerable stress has been laid on this point, since it must be 
emphasized that in Actinostrobus and Callitris , and doubtless also in 
Widdringtonia , though not proved in that genus, the position of the 
archegonium initials is a definite character of the female gametophyte, 
and not merely one correlated with the position of the pollen-tube. 
Coulter (4), in the paper cited above, apparently also correlates the 
‘ micropylar ’ position of archegonia in most Conifers with the ‘ micro- 
pylar 5 position of the tip of the pollen-tube ; it is, however, difficult to 
believe that the selection of archegonium initials in Pinus (to take a definite 
example) is influenced by the position of a pollen-tube which has only 
penetrated a short distance down the nucellus, and is still separated by 
a thick mass of nucellar tissue from the apex of the prothallus. Moreover, 
occasional abnormal prothalli of Pinus show laterally placed archegonia, 
without any evidence of a correspondingly placed pollen-tube, while 
sometimes a pollen-tube takes a very irregular course and enters an 
archegonium from the side. 
The young archegonium of Actinostrobus has a very inconspicuous 
neck of two cells (Figs. 10, 11, 12), and a small nucleus which lies just 
below the neck. The evidence in regard to the cutting off of a ventral 
canal nucleus is very meagre. Three cases are figured (Figs. 13, 14, and 33), 
of which the second and third are almost certainly (the third certainly) 
abnormal, and the first quite possibly so. Figs. 13 and 14 are from the 
same prothallus as the abnormal pollen-tube of Fig. 32; and 13 is an 
1 The fact that there was some doubt whether all the archegonia in Widdringtonia had under- 
gone any divisions after the ‘ initial ’ stage does not invalidate this statement. I have a preparation 
of Sequoia , also, which shows a lateral archegonium in a prothallus where no pollen-tube can 
be found. 
