20 
D. H. Scott. 
boniferous sporangia and those of this recent family and especially 
of the genus Todca. 1 The comparison holds good equally for the 
specimens now under consideration, which are similar to, though 
probably not identical with some of those figured by Professor 
Bower (cf. especially his Fig. 4, from slide No. 1875, in the 
Williamson collection). 
The sporangium shown in Fig. 60 contains a considerable 
number of spores, but they by no means fill the cavity ; many had 
evidently escaped, and some of these are found loose in the sur¬ 
rounding matrix. The spores are approximately spherical, and have 
a diameter of 65-70/a. The interest of the specimen lies in the fact 
that a number of the spores had begun to germinate within the 
sporangium when fossilization took place. It is indeed not improb¬ 
able that all had done so, though it is only in certain favourable 
cases that the stages of germination are clearly shown. Four of 
the best examples of germinating spores are represented, highly 
magnified, in Fig. 61. Their position in the sporangium will be 
seen on reference to Fig. 60. 
L A.B. del. 
Idg. 6L . 
Fig. 6i. Four germinating spores in detail. (Cf. Fig. 6o). A, r, rliizoid, 
/, flaps of exospore. B, shows protliallus only. C, shows protliallus 
and rliizoid, r. D. shows incomplete protliallus, and rliizoid r. x 195. 
The spore A, 70/a in maximum diameter, has put out a process 
about 80 /a long, and 22/a in maximum width ; it is cut off by a 
septum from the cavity of the spore, and the flaps of the exospore 
(Fig. 61, A,/) where the outgrowth had burst through, are clearly 
seen. The relatively narrow outgrowth in this case was evidently 
of the nature of a root-hair or rhizoid ; it is seen partly in section, 
and partly in superficial view. 
1 Bower, loc. cit. p. 124, Plate VII. 
