100 THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. tVoi. xxxv. No. iu. 



objects by various authors of both opinions. Thus the question now 

 seems to be rather whether it is to be regarded as a true split or 

 not, and not whether it is an artificial or abnormal occurrence. A 

 fact pointed out by Sharp^^ (1914) that the light spaces are not 

 only confined within the median region of chromosomes, but are also 

 found near or against the periphery of chromosomes — i. e. a condition 

 to be regarded as nothing but the results of the process of vacuoli- 

 zation in chromosomes — is opposed to the opinion that it is a true 

 split. This fact, alone, however, is not very convincing, because the 

 process of vacuolization in chromosomes approaching the resting stage 

 must be admitted, even if we accept the anaphasic split. So we, like 

 Sharp, would like to take another question as a critical basis for 

 the judgement concerning the true nature of the so-called split. This 

 is, whether or not the new chromosomes produced by this " split " 

 retain their individuality through the resting stage and reappear in 

 the earlj' stage of the next prophase, retaining their double nature 

 just as they were in the preceding telophase. Fraser and Snell^^ 

 (1911), and others believe that they do, but Sharp's paper of 1914 

 shows that these authors may have omitted some important stages. 

 Negative results are less reliable than positive, and if we can make 

 sure of the ix)sitive results, then the question will be naturally solved. 

 Having this view in mind the writer has undertaken to see 

 whether the stages described by Sharp occur normally or not, and 

 has obtained results in general almost the same as his. The present 

 work has been done with root-tips of Vicia Faba, fixed with various 

 methods and every care has been taken in regard to dehydration and 

 infiltration of paraffin. For dehydration a series of percentages of 

 alcohol, which consists of twelve grades, starting from 2 % _^ up to 

 the absolute alcohol and for clearing a series of alcohol-chloroform 

 mixture of seven grades, beginning with 2V^ ^ up to the pure chlo- 

 roform, has been used. Flemming's strong solution has proved to be 

 the best of all fixing agents generally speaking. The following brief 

 accounts are based on preparations made from the material fixed 

 with this solution for two diffei-ent lengths of time, one for 12 hours 

 and one for 24. For staining, Heidknhain's haematoxylin has been 

 exclusively employed. 



1) La Cellule, t. XXIX, 1914. 



2) Ann. Bot. Vol. 25. 191 1. 



