222 CHAS. W. HARGITT. 



the vacuolated portions of the nucleolus into yolk granules, such 

 as Montgomery has described. On the other hand the whole of 

 the nucleolar substance seems to be directly dissipated through- 

 out the cytoplasm and indistinguishably assimilated by it. 



Polar Bodies. --With the phenomena already described there 

 have been found in a few cases what seemed to be polar bodies. 

 But it was impossible to distinguish the presence of any mitotic 

 mechanism. In every case the nuclear matter was devoid of any 

 trace of chromatin, or, as just suggested, mitotic figures. In a 

 few cases the formation of these bodies was observed in living 

 eggs, and these showed essentially the same features. The nu- 

 clear matter being in close contact with the gonophore wall, 

 small rounded portions seemed separated from the larger part, 

 and could be distinguished close under these retaining mem- 

 branes for only a short time, when they gradually disappeared, 

 apparently resorbed, as I have suggested in former studies upon 

 Etidendriiiin and Pennaria. In this respect also my observations 

 correspond with those of Harm, though I have in no case been 

 able to confirm his account of the phenomena of mitosis. " Die 

 Resorption der Polkorperchen durch die eizelle sehr schnell 

 vor sich gehen, da ich dieselben zur Zeit, wenn der weibliche 

 Pronucleus besteht, nicht mehr habe nachweisen konnen." 



The results in the present case, as in those of Eudendriinn and 

 Pennaria, already referred to, as well as in certain others, serve 

 to suggest the query whether, indeed, there may not be great 

 variation as to phenomena of maturation, even perhaps to the 

 extent of the suppression of the more conspicuous aspects asso- 

 ciated with it in higher forms. It may be regarded as the wild- 

 est biological heresy to even remotely suggest that in some eggs 

 these physical phenomena might be entirely absent, but such an 

 impression has grown upon the present writer for some time and 

 increases with each further case, such as that under considera- 

 tion. If we may have normal nuclear division without mitosis 

 in the early embryonic history, and this I believe to be fairly be- 

 yond doubt ; and if we may have differentiation without cleavage, 

 now likewise admittedly true ; and if, furthermore, we may have 

 prior to either of these phenomena in development the dissipa- 

 tion of both chromatin and other nuclear matter throughout the 



