The spermatogenesis of Peripatus (Peripatopsis) balfouri. 305 



of continuous chromatin connected by linin (Figs. 61, 69). Frequently 

 the granules appear grouped in fours (compare especially Figs. 88 G, 

 I, J, K, L, 91, 92); in such cases a four has been produced by 

 the longitudinal division of two granules which have remained in 

 comparatively close apposition. The longitudinal splitting, like the 

 process of decondensation of the chromosomes into granules, does 

 no take place on the chromosomes of the same nucleus simulta- 

 neously (Figs. 88 A — M, 89, 90, 92) ; in this regard the separate 

 granules may be considered to act as more or less independent 

 units. The end of the synapsis shows all the chromosomes decondensed 

 into their ultimate granules, and all longitudinally split (Figs. 91—93). 

 During these processes the chromosomes have become somewhat longer, 

 and more bent. 



The changes in the linin are as follows. The linin band forming 

 the matrix of every univalent chromosome becomes only then visible, 

 when the granules separate from one another; it then appears as a 

 clear, flattened band connecting every two neighboring granules, and 

 stains fainly with prolonged iron haematoxyline staining, and lilac 

 with gentian violet (as used in the triple stains of Hermann and 

 Flemming). When the longitudinal splitting of the granules takes 

 place, the linin band remains for some time unsplit, so that then 

 each univalent chromosome is seen to be made up of a flattened band 

 of linin with a row of chromatin granules at each edge of it (compare 

 especially Figs. 88 A — M). At the central ends of the chromosomes 

 this band is continuous with what has been termed the central band 

 of linin , that which holds together every two univalent chromosomes 

 {C.P.L Figs. 73, 75, 81, 881, J, L, 90). At the distal end of 

 each univalent chromosome the band along which the chromatin 

 granules are arranged, and which may be called the axial band of 

 linin, passes continuously into the band designated by me as the 

 distal band of linin, which is much more delicate and difficult to 

 determine than the central band, and which, like the two other bands 

 as has been shown above, is a persisting portion of the original con- 

 tinuous linin thread. Thus the axial band is the portion of this 

 thread along which chromatin granules are arranged, and which had 

 previously been hidden by them ; the central band by joining the 

 central ends of two univalent chromosomes is the agent in the formation 

 of the bivalent chromosomes; and the distal band of linin joins the 

 distal end of one univalent chromosome with the distal end of one 

 univalent chromosome forming another bivalent one. These three 



Zool. Jahrb. XIV. Abth. f. Morph. OQ 



