^V&MS™*}  $0me   N°teS   011    CJlOfldrUS.  48 1 
epidermis,  which  may  be  distinguished  from  the  remaining  thick- 
walled  cells.  The  fruit  is  known  as  a  cystocarp,  a  term  applied  to 
the  zygote  or  zygospore  of  the  Floridese.  The  development  of  the 
zygospores  in  chondrus  is  a  rather  interesting  one  as  described  by 
Schmitz.1  Briefly  stated,  it  is  as  follows :  From  one  of  the  cells  in 
the  tissues  of  the  thallus  there  is  produced  a  three-celled  branch 
which  bends  and  almost  touches  the  "  Tragzelle."  The  end  cell  of 
the  three  becomes  what  is  known  as  the  carpogone  cell,  and  devel- 
ops a  trichogyne,  which  protrudes  from  the  thallus  tissue.  The 
Tragzelle  becomes  the  "Auxillarzelle." 
The  nucleus  of  the  spermatia  unites  with  the  nucleus  of  the 
carposporic  or  egg  cell,  and  subsequently  a  division  wall  is  formed 
between  the  trichogyne  and  egg  cell.  The  egg  cell  then  unites 
with  the  auxiliary  cell,  and  from  the  latter  there  arise  numerous 
thread-like  processes  which  unite  with  some  of  the  cells  of  the  thallus. 
It  is  from  this  latter  union  that  there  is  then  developed  a  complex  of 
four  cells,  which  gives  rise  to  the  naked  carpospores.  In  other 
words,  we  have  here  what  may  be  termed  a  triple  conjugation,  and, 
in  view  of  this  condition,  may  we  not  then  well  ask  what  is  fertiliza- 
tion ?  Is  a  certain  quantity  of  matter  required  before  an  egg  may 
develop  its  progeny,  or  does  it  mean  that  a  certain  amount  of 
stimulation  is  necessary? 
This  brings  me  to  say  a  word  on  the  industrial  side  of  the  sea- 
weeds. In  the  Old  World  the  collecting  and  working  up  of  sea- 
weeds yields  financial  returns  upon  which  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple of  a  great  many  of  the  smaller  towns  are  wholly  dependent. 
In  this  country  all  along  the  Coast  one  observes  that  seaweeds 
are  to  some  extent  collected  and  utilized  as  a  fertilizer,  but  besides 
this  use  of  seaweeds  there  is  an  industry  of  great  importance  to  the 
inhabitants  of  a  number  of  smaller  towns  between  Plymouth  and 
Cohasset  on  the  Massachusetts  coast.  It  is  the  collection  of  Irish 
moss. 
The  situation  at  Scituate  is  particularly  good  for  this  purpose. 
You  find  here  an  inlet  with  a  fine  beach,  on  either  side  of  which  ex- 
tend rocky  promontories,  on  the  submerged  rocks  of  which  the  Irish 
moss  is  found. 
iUntersuchung  iiber  die  Befruchtung  der  Florideen,  in  Sitzungsberichten  den 
Konigl.  Akad.  der  Wissenschaft  zu  Berlin,  1883. 
