21 
In regard to this hope the author says the obstacles to over- 
come were greater than he had supposed, and that so far, he has 
been able to ascertain very little with definite certainty. After 
giving the method of studying the fertilization of the egg and 
explaining the difficulties in the way of following the successive 
steps of development, he says that the commonly received 
opinion that the outer membrane of the spore, on ripening, be- 
comes lignified is entirely without support. His experiments 
proved conclusively that this membrane is cuticularized or suber- 
ized, but never lignified. In describing the markings of the shell 
of these spores, he says it is quite possible to decide the various 
species by the difference of these markings. 
In regard tothe wimperkcerperchen the results were more satis- 
factory. Even here no conclusion as to their function was reached. 
The plant which served as material for this part of the work was 
Nitella syncarpa and was taken from the Ziirich lake. These 
bodies were found in cells of nearly all parts of the plant but 
especially in the long internodal cells of the main portion. They 
were found to consist of albuminous matter and tannin. Other 
bodies occurring in the same cells are described as having the 
appearance of clear bubbles, some of which are as large as 
the ciliated bodies. Both of these structures, he says, have been 
mistaken for the cell nucleus, and states that much uncertainty in 
reference to their origin, nature and function has hitherto existed. 
He claims that they are in no way related to the cell nucleus, but 
that the so-called bubbles have the same chemical composition 
as that of the ciliated bodies, and that probably the latter are 
merely developed stages of the former. As proof of this he men- 
tions that transition stages of various kinds were seen, and adds, 
that as the ciliated bodies were not found in the act of division, it 
is quite probable that they multiply only while in the form of 
bubbles, afterwards developing into the full-fledged body. 
In regard to their behavior towards reagents and coloring 
matters, they are not unlike the protein grains found in Ricinus 
seeds. The fact that they are found in very young cells, where 
chlorophyll grains have only just made their appearance, being © 
few in number and only slightly colored, suggests the possibility 
of their connection with the process of assimilation. On the 
