304 J- E. WODSEDALEK. 



cast-off masses, apparently nursing on the material so that little 

 of it, if any, goes to waste. 



Every stage in the sloughing off of the cytoplasmic mass can 

 easily be observed (Figs. 77-86). When these masses of naked 

 cytoplasm are completely sloughed off they assume a rounded 

 shape and if the chromatoid body is present they might, at first 

 sight, be mistaken for minute cells with the chromatoid body as 

 the nucleus. And I feel that Wilson ('13), in speaking of this 

 condition in Pentatoma, is absolutely correct when he says, "I 

 also think it probable that the bodies that have been described 

 as 'degenerating cells' in the late spermatid-cysts by some 

 observers are identical with the protoplasmic balls here de- 

 scribed." 



Among the cast-off balls four different types can be observed 

 (Figs. 80-83). One type contains a small body which apparently 

 is the remnant of the posterior centrosome (Fig. 80); another 

 type is clear and one is led to believe that in such a case the centro- 

 some was entirely consumed (Fig. 81); another shows the same 

 condition regarding the small body but contains the chromatoid 

 body (Fig. 86); and still another contains both the chromatoid 

 body and the much smaller centrosome remnant (Fig. 82). 

 Later when the spermatozoa are fully developed the roundish 

 masses become irregular in shape and finally begin to disintegrate. 

 The disintegration is characterized by the breaking-up of the 

 masses into small particles and by the appearance of many deeply 

 staining bodies and globules which vary considerably in size 

 (Fig. 83). 



Occasionally in the last stages of the disintegration of the 

 cytoplasmic material and also when the material entirely dis- 

 appears there may be seen small, deeply staining bodies identical 

 in size and appearance to the chromatoid body and one is led 

 to believe that it is the same thing (Figs. 83 and 84). If it is 

 the same thing the fact throws some light on its durable con- 

 sistency. 



The mature spermatozoon in general resembles that of the 

 pig, except that it is smaller, and the head is thinner at the 

 anterior end and thicker at the posterior end. The entire 

 nucleus enters into the formation of the head and the contents 

 become homogeneous and intensely staining. 



