THE TIRE HISTORY ОК FERNS 17 
(Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), and which explain themselves in the light 
of our description. 
We thus see that while the life cycle of a flowering plant is seed, 
plant, flower, and seed again, that of a Fern is spore, prothallus, 
antheridia, archegonia, embryo-seed, and fern, an intermediate 
stage, the prothallus, being thus interposed between spore and 
Їегп Lo provide for the reproductive system existent in Ше flower, 
but not ш the Fern proper, and which, as a general rule, is essential 
in all the higher organized plants and animals for their continued 
existence. Nature, however, is not content with pursuing always the 
same lines, and, as is peculiarly evidenced in our native Ferns, is apt 
to depart from the normal or usual ones, and not only to vary her 
plans of structure on very wonderful lines, as this work demon- 
strates, but also to vary her modes of reproduction, and in this 
direction it is a remarkable fact that the study of the abnormal 
forms, i.e. the wild “sports ” of British Ferns, has, in the hands of 
eminent scientific investigators, proved that the normal life cycle 
can be, and has been, varied in every possible way. In point of 
fact, every one of the stages of the life cycle above indicated has 
been proved to be needless to secure continuance of the race, as 
we wil now demonstrate. In the earliest days, when these wild 
“sports” were discovered, they were stigmatised by scientific 
botanists as “ monstrosities,’ and being regarded in the light of 
mistakes on the part of Nature, were entirely ignored as subjects 
for study. In the early eighties, however, the writer having been 
fortunate enough to discover an entirely fresh form of Fern repro- 
duction (apospory), of which some particulars are given below, 
he advanced the opinion that Nature was far more likely to betray 
her secrets in her abnormalities or divergences from the beaten 
track than in her normal productions, and this led to investigation 
by Professor F. O. Bower of the Glasgow University, and eventually. 
by others, of a number of British Fern varieties, with the astounding 
result that it was found that : 
I. The spore was needless, as the fern frond was capable of 
producing prothalli by direct outgrowth (apospory'), either 
by transmutation of spore-producing energy and consequent 
transformation of aborted spore capsules into prothalli on the 
sites of the spore heaps (soral apospory), or by mere outgrowths 
of the terminals of the frond divisions into true prothalli (apical 
apospory, discovered by Mr. G. B. Wollaston, of Chislehurst). 
Dr. F. W. Stansfield also demonstrated that apospory could be 
induced by close treatment from the crests of a Lady Fern, a very 
curious case. 
1 Professor Е. O. Bower, Е.1.5., on “ Apospory and Allied Phenomena,” Linn. 
Trans., vol. 2, part xiv. July, 1887. 
2 Dr. Е. W. Stansfield, on ‘‘The Production of Apospory by Environment in 
A. f. f. uncoglomeratum. Journal Linn. Soc., vo). 34, No. 227, pp. 262-7. 
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