58 E. H. STRICKLAND 
is purified by the rejection of part of the chromatin of which it 
is constituted. The remaining chromatic matter fuses to form 
a ring-shaped nucleus which undergoes a division intermediate 
between mitosis and amitosis. The protoplasm also divides to 
form two uninucleate bodies. Both of these undergo two sub- 
sequent and similar divisions within the membrane of the sporont, 
so that the latter, which is now termed a ‘pansporoblast’ contains 
eight similar bodies or ‘sporoblasts,’ together with a small quan- 
tity of rejected chromatic matter. 
Stage V: sporoblast. These eight bodies assume a pyramidoi- 
dal shape and their nuclei undergo a somewhat complicated divis- 
ion, at the end of which the sporoblasts contain three nuclei 
surrounded by a dense cytoplasmic mass. <A circular vacuole 
appears within the cytoplasm and rapidly increases in volume. 
One of the nuclei is attached to the vacuole. The latter becomes 
pyriform in shape and the narrowed end comes in contact with 
the surrounding envelope of the sporoblast. This vacuole is 
the ‘polar capsule’ and at the point where it comes in contact 
with the envelope, a coiled up, evaginable filament is formed 
within it. In all of the forms I have examined there are two vac- 
uoles, the first of which travels to one end of the somewhat ellip- 
tical spore and entirely replaces the cytoplasm of this region to 
form the vacuole of the spore. The pyriform polar capsule is 
subsequently formed at the opposite end of the spore, where 
its location is not very evident on account of its being surrounded 
by the cytoplasm. It may however increase considerably in 
size so that it projects far into the vacuole. 
Stage VI: spore. At the time when this internal maturation 
has been accomplished, a very thick, though remarkably trans- 
parent shell has been formed around the sporont which is thus 
converted into a ‘spore,’ strongly resistent to all external condi- 
tions. There is a single minute pore in this shell situated oppo- 
site the point of contact with the narrowed end of the polar 
capsule, and therefore in communication with the base of the 
filament. The spore thus consists of a very resistant trans- 
parent shell containing a single polar capsule, in which is a coiled 
evaginable thread. Surrounding the base of this capsule is a 
