12 
The first discovery of this motion produced a sympathetic shock, that caused me to 
close the eye, and suddenly withdraw it from the microscope ; the sensation was akin 
to that experienced when unexpectedly witnessing the accidental maiming or killing a 
fellow-creature. These organs consist of a fine pellucid stem attached to the branch¬ 
es and ramuli indiscriminately ; at the end is a knob or capsule, generally pellucid, 
though sometimes tinted with red; the capsule sometimes has the form of a tulip just 
expanded, and sometimes that of an oblong spheroid; these are always single. In 
some the pellucid stalk is parted at a considerable distance from the plant, and thence 
branching into four, six, or eight pellucid branches, each capitate or surmounted with 
a knob ; those branched or in clusters, are always round, and it is in those that I dis¬ 
covered the motion. In one instance only, I witnessed motion in the single tulip¬ 
shaped organ. Whether these organs represent the sexes, or perform the functions 
of antennae in the insect tribe, it is not easy to discern ; their motion so peculiar and 
extraordinary, shows that they have some important part assigned to them in the eco¬ 
nomy of life. The motions are of two kinds ; when bent up against the plant, it com¬ 
mences slowly to expand or straighten out, the whole cluster moving on a joint close 
to the plant, until that part forms a right angle with the stem, and then the branches 
as slowly unrol from their crooked or twisted condition, until the wdiole are extend¬ 
ed in a straight line; then suddenly, with electric quickness, the whole are again 
twisted and thrown up against the plant. In all the movements I have never ob¬ 
served one of the knobs or capsules to break or fall off from the stem. Some circum¬ 
stances attending this phenomenon may favor the hypothesis that the motion is caused 
by pain, as in all cases the plants had been several hours out of their element, 
and may then have felt the agonies of death ; when drawing in, the motion is 
spasmodic ; and when slowly expanding or straightening, the motion is attended with 
trembling. In one instance, the antheridia of a Ceremium rubrum, (the single tulip 
form) exhibited the same motion when it had been 28 hours out of water, preserved 
in a moist state by a covering of Fucus nodosus. 
It may never be possible to solve the problem of conception, though the mode of 
casting the seed, or bringing forth the young Algae, is easily followed from the peri¬ 
carp or womb, to the full developement of a plant; and here all the circumstances 
seem to favor the hypothesis of an animal nature. On the 28th of October I witnessed 
the spawning, or casting of spores from a Rytiphlaea thuyoides, in full and mature 
fruit. The pericarp or fruit case in this species is very large, and ovate or pear-shape, 
with a pore or mouth at the top. The plant was very recent, and the part submitted 
to the microscope was floated on mica with a few drops of rain water. Soon one of 
the pericarps discharged a very large spore, or swarm of spores ; in the space of ten 
minutes, seven more spores or swarms, making eight in all, were discharged from the 
same pericarp ; they were all round, apparently of granular structure, and very large ; 
the whole eight when discharged occupied more space than two of the parent peri¬ 
carps. The discharge seemed to be attended with much effort, slowly protruding 
until considerably beyond the centre, and then suddenly emergingwith an accelerated 
motion. The discharge occured at seven o’clock in the evening, and the eight glo¬ 
bular masses remained entire until observed again at seven o’clock in the morning, 
