348 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MAY 
cell on the side in which the protoplasm itself is rich in vacuoles. 
Observation of the passage of the granules from the jacket cells 
into the egg is most difficult. The egg cell and the jacket cell 
walls with the highest magnifications show no holes. But since 
on both sides of the wall we find granules of a like nature, we 
must admit a process of passing over. If one admit that we have 
not small bodies, but small drops of a viscid fluid substance, 
filtration furnishes an explanation for the passing over.”’ 
Murrill (8) in his paper on Tsuga writes: “I cannot confirm 
for Tsuga the results of Arnoldi’s recent studies (1900) on the 
proteid vacuoles of the Abieteae. It may be that further search 
on my part will reveal the passage of the nuclei of the sheath 
cells into the central cell, but very careful examination of numer- 
ous archegonia in all stages of development has thus far failed to 
show a single undoubted example of such passage. I find the 
nuclei of the sheath cells streaming profusely at times, as 
described by Ikeno (1898) for Cycas, and observe collections of | 
granules in the outer vacuoles of the central cells which very 
much resemble the sheath nuclei; but the sheath cells are never 
found without their nuclei. The sheath remains one-layered, 
though its cells often divide as the archegonium grows. At 
points where the archegonia come into close contact, the sheath 
is frequently crushed and destroyed; but throughout most of its 
extent the cells and their nuclei continue active during the life 
of the archegonium.”’ 
Strasburger (6) upon re-examining Pinus failed to confirm 
Arnoldi’s views. Margaret C. Ferguson (3) alludes to Arnoldi’s 
study of Pinus, but fails to confirm the migration of the nuclei 
of the sheath cells into the egg. Land (7) in describing Thuja 
writes: ‘‘ Protoplasmic connections between the jacket cells and 
the central cell were not seen, but it is possible they were over- 
looked owing to the extreme thinness of the dividing wall. It is 
not believed that the nuclei of the jacket cells pass into the 
central cell as reported in Caphalotaxus by Arnoldi.” 
Material of Zamia floridana was secured from Miami, Florida. 
The earliest stages studied showed the central cell of the arche- 
gonium before the mitosis which gives rise to the egg and the 
