240 



GREGOR T. POPA. 



diagrammatic figures show some of the variations in distribution 

 of the stain (Figs. 1-3). 



m.p. 



FIGS, i, 2, 3. Fresh spermatozoa of Arbacia stained with i per cent, solution 



of Victoria blue in distilled water. 



When the reaction is too strong, i.e., when the contact of the 

 spermatozoa (in sea-water) with Victoria blue (in distilled water) 

 is immediate, the tails swell also from place to place and one 

 may find shapes as in Figure 4. Frequently, when the reaction 

 is still stronger, the tails twist round the heads and shapes very 

 similar to those described by Koltzoff result (loc. cit., pp. 9-12). 



Victoria blue, fuchsin, and the dyes from the same series 

 (Gentian violet, Malachite green, etc.) always stain substances 

 in the acrosome region, in the middle piece, and in the tail. 

 The reaction with Victoria blue, and with the stains in the same 

 class, gives strong reasons for postulating the presence of lipoids 

 in the composition of the acrosome, middle piece, and tail. 



Victoria Blue in Alcohol (i cc. of the distilled water solution 

 in 10 cc. alcohol, 70 per cent.) : The solution fixes the spermatozoa 

 at the same time that it stains, and the stain being more dilute, 

 one can see the gradual transformations of the spermatozoa. 

 The heads swell slowly; the tails never swell. The distribution 

 of the stain in the spermatozoa is exactly the same; tip, middle 

 piece, tail. Also, the stain in the region of the acrosome does 

 not always occur, and the middle piece varies in size. By 

 variations of concentration one can have a series of pictures 



