34 J- E. WODSEDALEK. 



The formation of more than one nucleus is not at all strange, 

 when we consider the various freakish spindles of the primary 

 spermatocytes and the fact that the cytoplasm of these cells was 

 never observed to be in the process of division. A spindle like 

 those shown in Figs. 34-36 for example, may, if decay does not 

 set in beforehand, form five or six nuclei. A cell like that rep- 

 resented in Fig. 29 may eventually possess four nuclei, one like 

 that shown in Fig. 31 three nuclei, and so on. In all of the com- 

 paratively few cases that reach the telophase stage before decay- 

 ing, we must necessarily expect some such abnormalities. 



DESTRUCTION OF THE GERM CELLS. 



In speaking of degeneration of the germinal cells in hybrid 

 pigeons, Guyer (*io) says: "Degenerative processes were in 

 progress in the testes of all the sterile forms, but were most 

 pronounced in hybrids between very divergent species, or between 

 unlike hybrids from birds which were themselves descendants 

 of fertile hybrids. There were some such extreme cases of de- 

 generation that only the layer of cells lying along the wall re- 

 mained in the tubule. Where such a degree of degeneration 

 exists there is, of course, no approach to the formation of sper- 

 matozoa. There is often a strong invasion of wandering cells 

 into the tubules, especially where the degenerative activity has 

 become extensive. The interspaces between such tubules are 

 also usually packed with cells which have much the same ap- 

 pearance as white blood corpuscles. Little clumps and globules 

 of deeply staining cytoplasm are scattered about among the cells 

 within the tubules. The oval nuclei of the Sertoli cells are also 

 generally to be seen in varying numbers. 



"In some places it really looks as if the germinal cells them- 

 selves lose their cell walls and characteristic appearance and 

 become leucocytes, but this point will require very careful study 

 before any definite conclusions can be reached. In other tubules 

 the original cells, or cells which have wandered in, settle down 

 and take on exactly the appearance of the large stroma cells 

 which are ordinarily present outside the tubules. The cytoplasm 

 of such cells has a peculiar alveolar-like appearance that is very 

 characteristic." 



