4 ANDREWS. [Vol. II. 



longation fine filaments were seen to radiate in all directions 

 and to rapidly change, and in other cases comparatively blunt 

 filaments occupied the same place. Before this prolongation 

 was drawn into the main mass, many fine filaments appeared 

 from the opposite blunt end of the ^g^. As it was being drawn 

 in, fine, short filaments were seen projecting from the surface 

 of the ^gg round about its base. Under oc. 12, obj. 2 mm., 

 these were much finer than the tail of the large sperms now 

 often present within the egg membrane. When the polar 

 bodies were forming, and for a time after their extrusion, the 

 surface of the egg near these bodies (and sometimes quite gen- 

 erally) sent out very fine filaments, set like cilia close together. 



Later, during the first cleavage, similar filaments arose from 

 the surface of the ^gg. They were especially well seen when 

 occurring as stout, stiff-looking, radiating lines arising from 

 the tops of certain remarkable papillae that frequently formed 

 on the sides of the gaping cleavage furrow. As these small 

 papillae armed with tufts of filose processes arose at certain 

 phases in cleavage and then vanished, they suggested some 

 such temporary interconnection of cells as occurs in certain 

 echinoderms;^ but the filaments could not be followed from 

 one cell to the other and seemed much too short to furnish any 

 intercellular union by filose activity. In this connection it 

 seems significant that the cleavage is of such a nature as to 

 leave it doubtful, from surface views, whether the blastomeres 

 actually separate entirely as in the echinoderms, or not. 



In an Qgg with twenty or more cells fine processes were seen 

 projecting from the profile of a cell favorably placed. In 

 another case, where there were but four cells, a stout filament 

 passed across the space between the inner ends of the cells, 

 near the surface, and made the protoplasm of two opposite 

 cells continuous. On this filamentous bridge there were nodu- 

 lar enlargements that gradually grew smaller as the filament 

 dwindled in diameter and was withdrawn into one of the cells. 

 But as the mode of formation of this connecting filament was 

 not observed, and as the egg subsequently showed abnormal 



1 Andrews, G. F., " Some Spinning Activities of Protoplasm in Starfisli and 

 Echinus JLggs,'" Join-Ji. of Morph. Vol. xii. 1897. 



