THE LIVING SUBSTANCE. 



79 



it was often separated in the form of granules and then again 

 drawn together into a compact and nuclear-like mass. 



In all respects these strange little masses of living substance 

 looked and behaved like small protoplasts. Their webs and 

 processes were ceaselessly extending themselves on all sides 

 and becoming mingled and entangled with those of the cyto- 

 plasmic webs. The intercellular space above which they lay 

 and which came later to be the cleavage pore was crossed and 

 often well filled with fused, and interlaced and intermingled, 

 spinnings from the polar globules and adjacent cells. 



That the polar globules persist for a long time as active and 

 seemingly independent substance, or units, was clearly shown. 

 More there may be of even greater significance, seeing that 

 they are again returned to the general mass of Qgg substance. 

 Is it not possible that, as the cells have but a semblance of 

 separation, these bodies also are but portions of the organism 

 temporarily segregated for physiological purposes } 



Protoplasm squeezed from eggs in the earliest stages spun 

 more or less vigorously, according to the time in certain 

 rhythms of viscosity of the cells that the experiment was 

 made. Later, the filose phenomena were replaced by amoeboid 

 or lobose processes, or ectosarcal areas, all of which varied in 

 their character according to the time in these same rhythms 

 and in certain other rhythms which pertained to the whole 

 development. With regard to viscosity of the substance in 

 developing starfish eggs a number of very interesting rhythms 

 were broadly noted. 



In the single-celled stage, from the moment the Q.%g is laid, 

 there is a steady, progressive increase in peripheral viscosity of 

 the mass, which gradually extends further and further inwards 

 after the nuclear sac membrane is dissipated and its fluid con- 

 tents distributed through the general cytoplasm. 



After this, a quadruple set of rhythms of viscosity were 

 noted in starfish and sea-urchin, also in rotifer, eggs. One set 

 of rhythms held relation to cleavage of each cell, another to 

 the whole progressive development of the mass. In addition 

 to these was a double set of rhythms of varying viscosity in 

 areas of the mass. One set held relation to position in individ- 



