614 CAROLINE M. HOLT 



maternal or the paternal group to be more precocious, either 

 dividing earher or, in the first division dividing twice. 



The chromosomes grow so rapidly that in most cases the indi- 

 viduals of a multiple complex show^ the same sizes as those of 

 'normal' chromosomes found in the larval gut or the newly 

 formed cells of the adult intestine (fig. 21 A). But even in meta- 

 phase we may find evidence of precocious splitting, giving ab- 

 normally .slender chromosomes (fig. 23). 



In the metaphase, we find the triplex arrangement still holds 

 though here it is much more difficult to make out (figs. 24, 26, 

 27). In figure 26, for example, the two groups of six chromo- 

 somes on the lower side of the figure suggest that they may have 

 been derived from the division of the small chromosomes of the 

 original group. The individual at the extreme right seems a 

 little larger and possibly belongs to the group above. The re- 

 maining twenty-four fall quite naturally into two groups. And 

 so, with careful study, it has been found possible, in nearly all 

 cases, to separate even the metaphase complexes into three 

 component groups. 



As in 'normal' cells, the chromosomes of the multiple com- 

 plexes arrange themselves horizontally upon the spindle, where 

 they spht lengthwise and pass to either pole as V's (figs. 31 and 

 32. Compare with 'normal' somatic groups — fig. 21). Note 

 even in multiple complexes the tendency on the part of the 

 chromosomes to arrange themselves in triangular groups in 

 metaphase. 



DISINTEGRATION OF THE CELLS 



After several multiplications of the chromosomes, the cells 

 begin to show signs of degeneration. Apparently this usually 

 comes after the third or fourth division. Vacuoles appear at 

 first as lighter spots in the stained cytoplasm (fig. 8). Later 

 these vacuoles have the appearance of empty spaces in the cell 

 body, which is rapidly losing its staining power. The chromatin, 

 meanwhile, becomes Uquid and takes the form of black-staining 

 drops of varying sizes, which may finally run together into one 

 or two large masses. The nuclear wall breaks down (fig. 8) 



