236 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



specimens, and will direct atteutiou to the possibility of sporoplasmio 

 degeueratioii liaving taken place.^ 



Series 1: Consisting constantly of 2 deeply- staining globules (best 

 shown by carmine), always found in the median tongue-like process 

 of the sporoiilasm, usually disposed submedianly, one behind the other, 

 though not infrequently obliquely or even transversely directed; often 

 seen closely approximated, sometimes flattened on their adjacent sides. 



Series U: Forming 2 curved lines whose direction and position coin- 

 cide in a general way both with the concave anterior margins of the 

 sporoi)lasm, and also with the adjacent postero-inner border of the cap- 

 sule; best stained by carmine. Each line is resolved by high powers 

 into several deeply-stained dots; its outer end approaches so closely 

 the usual position of the pericornual nucleus that I suspect that this 

 latter structure may form the last dot. Further, with one pair of such 

 lines distinctly in focus, a second pair (parallel and slightly anterior to 

 the first) can sometimes be seen. That this pair exists on another 

 focus-plane becomes evident by change of focus, when it comes into 

 distinct view, the first pair at the same time receding into obscurity. 

 Finally, at the anterior median cornu a distinct deeply-stained granule 

 is also sometimes seen. 



Series 3: These chromatophile bodies are best shown by gentian 

 violet. This reagent differentiated, besides the lightly tinted shell, 

 three kinds of substances which stain, respectively, not at all, medium, 

 and very dark. There is never any difficulty in distinguishing these 

 from one another; that is, there are no transitions between the tints. 

 The medium-stained portion is the general protoplasm. Without pro- 

 nouncing such to be their nature, I may say that the dark-, and non- 

 staining portions behave toward gentian violet i)recisely as would 

 nucleolar and nuclear substances, respectively. Moreover, the order of 

 succession (from the center of the space outward) is always deepest- 

 staining, nonstaining, medium-staining, the nonstaining portions form- 

 ing circular, oval, or slightly irregular spaces, which are deUmited by 

 a sharp, clearly defined border from the surrounding medium-stained 

 protoplasm on the one hand, and from the inclosed deeply stained gran- 

 ules on the other. 



As regards their location, though they often seem to, and apparently 

 sometimes do, honeycomb the protoplasmic portion of the spore, they 

 nevertheless show a decided tendency toward peripheral aggregation. 

 In most cases there can be distinguished in the posterior two-thirds of 

 the spores 2 zones, a more deeply stained tongue-shaped median, and 

 a markedly lighter band-like circumferential portion. The latter is, by 

 preference, the seat of the third series of chromatophile bodies. The 



' The fishes had been kept for years in rather weak alcohol and their condition of 

 preservation was by no means perfect. Further, the results of staining with gen- 

 tian violet were by no means constant, only a single slide serving as a basis for the 

 descrixition given. The action of carmine was less variable. 



