QUARTERLY CHRONICLE. 37 



In appearance not unlike the colourless blood-cor2')uscles, 

 these bodies at first appeared pale, with faintly granular con- 

 tents and ill-defined nucleus. But when placed in dilute 

 glycerine their aspect soon changed, OAving to the retraction 

 at one spot of the contents from the now distinctly visible 

 membrane, the contents presenting a defined outline, whilst 

 at the same time the vacuole-like nucleus Avas also more dis- 

 tinctly seen. This condition, however, did not last long ; the 

 membrane soon bursting, the contents escaped in an elongated 

 form, and assumed the character of the well-known reniform 

 corpuscles, Avhich are thus seen to arise from the direct trans- 

 formation of the contents of a cell. That this phenomenon is 

 a normal one, and indicative of a normal process of develoji- 

 ment, is sIioavu in the circumstance that the reniform cor- 

 puscles are found in sacculi, lodged in perfectly fresh muscle. 

 "With regard to the structure of the reniform corpuscles, the 

 nucleus, as remarked by Hessling, rather apj^ears like a divi- 

 sion of the protoplasm ; but, from the j^art it takes in the 

 scission of the corpuscle, it must be regarded as a true 

 nucleus. It is, without doubt, vesicular, usually solitary, and 

 placed in the middle of the corpuscle tOAvards its concave 

 side. Other smaller, probably fatty particles, or minute 

 A'acuoles, are seen in the pointed extremities of the corpuscle. 

 The corpuscle does not seem to be furnished Avith a mem- 

 brane, the existence of Avhich Avould scarcely be reconcilable 

 Avith the above-described mode of its genesis. Hessling states 

 that he has often Avitnessed division of the corpuscles. The 

 author has sometimes, in corpuscles from the smaller-sized 

 sacculi, noticed the apjDcarance of a delicate line crossing the 

 nucleus, and probably betokening its division. Besides this, he 

 has frequently obserA-ed Avhat may be regarded as the last 

 stage in the process of scission, viz., tAA'o corjDuscles in close 

 apjoosition by their concave sides, and still attached to each 

 other at one end, but both of Avhich presented the fully deve- 

 loped reniform shape. As nothing like a membrane could be 

 seen surrounding these tAvin corpuscles, he concludes that 

 the scission does not take place Avithin a cell. 



The moA'cments of the corpuscles appear to depend alto- 

 gether upon external agencies, such as currents in the fluid 

 in Avhich they may be placed, or upon the molecular motion 

 or the minute brilliant particles to Avhich some are attached 

 by delicate filaments. 



The corpuscles, AAdien Avithin the sacculus, are imbedded in 

 a matrix, Avhich is subdiAaded into separate segments, AA'hich, 

 as long as they remain enclosed, have a polygonal shape from 

 their mutual pressure, but, Avlien freed, assume a globular 

 form. 



