48

SIPHONED.

placed close to the capsules, which have been termed anther,from the analogy which they present to the anthers of Pha-nerogamic plants in situation, and, as some even consider, infunction.

The nature of the large oval or spherical bodies, one ofwhich is contained in each capsule invested with its propermembrane or membranes, does not seem to be satisfactorilydetermined. Vaucher states in his “ Histoire,” that he hastraced their growth and developement into perfect plants; butthe observation does not appear to have been placed beyondquestion by the additional testimony of other witnesses.

With respect to what Vaucher terms the horn, from itscurved appearance, although he would seem to have entertainedbut little doubt that it really performed the office which heassigned to it, viz., that of an anther, nevertheless, he wasunable to bring forward any direct proof that it did so; andthis he appears himself to have acknowledged and regretted,as will be seen from the following passage :—“ Nevertheless,I am not sufficiently certain of the functions to which thehorn which accompanies the seeds is applied. It is in truthconstantly placed in the neighbourhood of the grains, and itis seen, especially in Vaucheria (Ectosperma Vauch.) ovoideato shed its powder; that is incontestable; still I havealways desired some direct evidence which should convinceme of the use of this horn.”

That the horn has an office to fulfil in relation to the sporesor sporangia, none can doubt who consider its almost con-stant presence, the situation which it occupies with referenceto them, the shedding of its granular contents, and thesubsequent changes which it undergoes indicative of itshaving performed the duty allotted to it. What the exactnature of this duty is, cannot as yet be determined, althoughevery additional observation which has been made tends tostrengthen and confirm the view of its function adopted byVaucher, viz. that it is the organ by which fertilization iseffected. The truth of this statement will be evident fromthe following remarks: —

In page 17. of Vaucher’s “ Histoire des Conferves d’Eau