W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS

Evening Star, Issue 19263, 31 May 1926, Page 12

W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS

THE FERN ALLIES The sixth of a series of lectures to tlio WlO -V class in biology was held on Friday night in the Upper Oliver room, University buildings. me lecturer, the Rev. Dr_J. iL- Hollmvny, F N Z Inst., lecturer in botany at the University of Otago be lore entering upon the .subject of the evening briefly reviewed' the life history of ferns, m which it was seen that there is _an alternation of a snb-mnal spore-bearing with a moisture-loving gamete-bearing generation, as in liverworts and mosses, lint, whereas in the lattei the ‘Spoubearing generation was a more or less simple structure, and always remained attached to and parasitic upon tho gamote-benring plant, in the ferns it early became independent of the gamete-baring “ proUiallus and itself became the plant. Dr Holloway then proceeded to deal with some interesting but less wellknown plants commonly termed the “fern allies.” These were the existing relics of certain very ancient groups of laud plants, and they showed the same “amphibious alternation in their life cvcle as did the terns. Jn the Fycopedinccro there were a largo number of varieties, popularly spoken of as dub mosses, homo o them hung down from the branches and forks of forest trees, others grew in swampy places; and others again on open hillsides. The sporangia, with their spores, wore borne on special twm-ends which took the form of little cones or catkins. Tho spore germinated underneath the ground, amt gave rise to a colorless, subterranean, more or less tuber-like prothallus, on which the male and female gametes were home. These, as in ferns, liverworts, etc., were swimming sperms and iiou-molilo eggs. The fertilised egg dove oped into the embrvo asd sporolmg plant, and finally into tho adult spore-bearing plant. A fungus which lived m the sod penetrated into-the tissues of the prothallus and supplied it with food, and so enabled it to live underground away from tho light. A very snap o number of the Lvcopod family named i.hylloglossun had been considered by some botanists to be a more ancient type of land plant than any others now

living. „ The Tmesiptens was a very pccnliai spore-bearing plant, winch grow on such places as the stems ol tree orns. It belonged to Kcw Zealand and the tropical Islands of the Pacific Ocean. r l'ho protbalhis grew below the surface, and there wa.s a fungus present in its cells which provided nourishment as m the case of Lycopodium. Iho spojy hearing generation had no root. Jno nearest relatives of Tmesiptens were certain fossil plants which were considered to he the most ancient fossils of land plants yet found. The Lfpiisteum were plants occurring in Northern Hemisphere countries, and were called t.ho “horse tails. Iho spores and sporangia were homo in cones, and the protliallus was green, and occurred at the sui t ace m me ground, and so wa.s able to manuj factors lood for itscll. , The Ophioglossum were the Adder s Tongue” plants. The species ot nnotW kind of fern ally named Botrvchiura were popularly called the “parsley ferns.” in both these kinds of plants the protbalhis was subterranean, and its cells wore occupied by a fungus. In surnmmn; up, Dr Hollowny recapitulated the principal items he had dealt with in order in show that the fern allies illustrated the same life cycle n-s did the ienis, aFiliougb they possess many diflorciit_ special characters, ’i'iie spore-bearing stage, ho said, was tho “plant’’ itself, and this needed to distribute its spores ni the dry air. The gamete-bearing stage or protliallus needed tho presence _ ol moisture in order that tho swimming sperms might reach the eggs. These fern allies wero the modern representatives of certain very ancient groups, and it was necessary to go on to consider the fossil remains of these ancient ancestors. At the conclusion of the lecture Mr Crowther, • tho chairman, in a few felicitous remarks, said that he felt sure that he voiced the sentiments ol | the class in congratulating Dr Holloway on the honor conferred on him in | being asked by the botanists ot America to lecture at tho forthcomng congress in America, and furthermore, the students of tho W.E.A. and the 'University classes should feel proud in having him for their tutor. Mr Dunn, the secretary, in seconding the remarks of tho chairman, said that the congress of America was also to be congratulated on _ having shown great wisdom in selecting Dr Holloway to address the congress. Dr Holloway, in a fooling reply, thanked the members of the class to! their appreciative remarks, and said he thought it was very good of the students to have noticed the announcement in tho papers, and to have expressed their appreciation in such a marked manner.

SOUTH DUNEDIN CLASS The Smith Dunedin class has new begun its activities for the third year, meeting on Tuesday evenings in the Methodist School Hall, Wesley street. This class is fortunate in again having as tutor Mr A. C. "Watson, M.A. The course of study to bo followed is a continuation of fast session’s ‘ Studies in Social Psychology.’ At the, meeting Inst week' the tutor dealt with 1 Historical Illustrations of the Power of Ideas.’ Ideas, be said, play an important part in social life, and there is no doubt, that “ theorists ” have a distinct influence on events. We live in a very different world from that of 1800. The foundational cause for the change is an economic one—the great industrial revolution. The nineteenth century was the period of growth, change, and revolution, with consequent great changes in thought. Men began to feel the need of a more scentific explanation of the facts and a more scientific attempt to cure the defects of social life. The new situation was faced with a new creed—that- of Adam Smith and Benthnm---which condemned Government interference and asserted the rights of the individual. But the distinctive development of the century was made by those schools of thought which derived their insp ; ratinu from the idealists. Kant and Hegel, with their now conception of the relation of the State and the individual. Instead of starting with the individual they started with the central social system. From 1880 to 1914 many minor changes occurred, and Nationalism emerged, giving a. complete change to the place of the State and the position of the individual. Rome very interesting discussions concluded the meeting.