NOTES ON HISTOLOGY OF LINGULA ANATINA. 9 



able to observe the spindle bodies proliferating from the epithelial 

 ridge. The dendritic organ, Hancock's supposed testis, Bloch- 

 mann considers as merely the coagnlum of the cœlomic fluid 

 (p. 122). 



B. Observations. 

 a. Form and Structure. 



The spindle bodies assume all imaginable forms, ranging 

 from the spherical to the greatly elongated. Sometimes they 

 are triangular (PI. I., Fig. 7 b), sometimes delicately spindle 

 shaped (PL L, Fig. 19), often with one or two constrictions (PL 

 L, Fig. 7 c) ; but in the majority of cases they are shaped 

 like a spindle, or like a grain of rice ; hence the name. The 

 flagelliun-like prolongation of the spindle body at one or both 

 ends is often met with, as observed by Brooks. This appearance 

 is, I believe, probably due to an artefact, since the spindle body 

 is very soft and plastic as Morse has stated, and either end 

 of it is, therefore, very easily drawn out. The doubly elongated 

 spindle, which was supposed to be in a stage of division by 

 Brooks, was not infrequently observed. This I regard merely 

 as a more elongated form. 



The spindle bodies vary greatly in size, measuring 55 f* in 

 length and 16 f* in breadth, on an average. The longest with 

 a constriction often attains twice the usual length. On the other 

 hand there are found specially small and slender ones (PL I., 

 Fig. 11). Such considerable variations in size make it difficult 

 for us to believe that they can have a definite structure in con- 

 nection with a definite function. 



