234 L. V. HEILBRUNN 



June 2Sth. At 9:38 a.m., 8 cc. of 2\ N NaCl were added to 50 cc. 

 of sea-water containing unfertilized eggs. At 10:39 a.m., some of these 

 eggs were removed to a solution containing 3 per cent ether. This 

 solution was made up by adding to 43| cc. of sea-water, 5 cc. of 2| N 

 NaCl, and 1| cc. of ether. 



At 10:49|,"the cytoplasmic viscosity of the eggs in both solutions was 

 compared by a simultaneous centrifuge test, by which it was found 

 that the eggs in the solution containing ether had a more fluid cyto- 

 plasm. The centrifuge was turned 45 times in 28 seconds. After this 

 treatment, the eggs in the hypertonic solution without ether showed no 

 sign of stratification, whereas the eggs which had for ten minutes been 

 exposed to ether (although still in a hypertonic solution) showed the 

 beginnings of stratification. In them, the pigment granules had shifted 

 somewhat, the gray cap and hyaline zone were beginning to appear. 



That ether exerts an antagonistic action toward hypertonic 

 solutions was shown in still another way. As has been previ- 

 ously pointed out, 2| per cent ether reverses the normal gelation 

 and thus prevents the appearance of the mitotic figure. How- 

 ever, when 2| M NaCl was added, although the concentration of 

 ether remained the same, the ether was no longer able to repress 

 the formation of spindles and asters. 



In several experiments I tried to discover if ether would pre- 

 vent the gelation of the egg cytoplasm by distilled water or by 

 acid. Rather than a decrease, the addition of ether apparently 

 produced a slight increase in the gelatinizing power of dilute acid 

 solutions. The following experiment serves as a sample: 



Juhj 20th. At 5:20 p.m., unfertiHzed eggs were placed into Stender 

 dish A, which contained 50 cc. of sea-water plus 1.3 cc. nr HCl, and also 

 into Stender dish B, which contained 50 cc. of 2 per cent ether dissolved 

 in sea-water +1.3 cc. ^ HCl. At 5:25 p.m. the cytoplasmic viscosity of 

 the eggs in A and B was simultaneously tested with the centrifuge, the 

 handle being turned 35 times in 30 seconds. Many of the eggs from A 

 were injured. The intact eggs showed a hyaline zone extending one- 

 fourth of the distance along the axis of stratification. The eggs from 

 B were coagulated and showed not a trace of stratification. At 5:35 

 p.m., eggs from A and B were again centrifuged, the handle being turned 

 35 times in 28 seconds. This time both sets of eggs were coagulated, 

 and in neither case was any stratification visible. 



The following experiment, although perhaps not conclusive, 

 indicates that ether does not prevent gelation of egg cytoplasm 

 by distilled water: 



