312 WILLIAM SEIFRIZ. 



Unripe eggs obtained in this manner are still held together by a 

 jelly mass. The earliest stages so obtained were of oogonia in 

 which division was complete but the eight eggs still of pentagonal 

 outline in profile and closely appressed. 



The protoplasm is of liquid consistency but shows marked 

 signs of an increased viscosity over that of young oogonia. It 

 tolerates a great amount of ill-treatment without showing any 

 signs of injury. After half an hour of dissection there was no 

 indication of gelation, the viscosity of the protoplasm remaining 

 the same. Brownian movement, that unfailing criterion of 

 degeneration, was not seen. 



Slightly older oogonia in which the eggs, though still closely 

 appressed, have rounded up somewhat, show further increase in 

 protoplasmic consistency to the slightly viscous stage. 



The separating membranes of these closely appressed masses 

 of protoplasm are exceedingly delicate and of inappreciable 

 thickness. 



The capacity for membrane formation is complete. A re- 

 markable property of the protoplasm of a young Fticus ovum is 

 the rapidity with which it is enclosed by a wall after a needle has 

 severed the egg. The very elastic glutinous membrane, ordi- 

 narily barely visible, is sufficiently pliable to be made of appre- 

 ciable thickness when pressure is applied laterally with a ten- 

 dency to compress. 



The above described behavior of the ripening Fucus egg leaves 

 no doubt that the plasma is>a non-miscible fluid. 



The stage of development of the eggs just described must be 

 borne in mind. These ova, of slightly viscous consistency and 

 enclosed by a delicate membrane, are nearing the completion of 

 their development. They are still closely appressed within the 

 oogonium, with several hours intervening before they would 

 have been discharged as ripe eggs with gelatinous contents and a 

 thick, hyaline wall. 



The protoplasm of eggs of more advanced oogonia is of greater 

 density, namely, rather viscous. It flows readily, but slowly. 



The last stage in the development of the eggs before their 

 discharge is especially noticeable because of an increase in thick- 

 ness of wall. The enclosing layer is now one half of a micron 



