68 E. H. STRICKLAND 
ium and this results in the formation of small globular bodies, 
around which the protoplasm hardens to form a fine constricting 
membrane (pl. 2, figs. 3 and 5). At times, however, they appear 
to be budded off from the peripheral myxoplasm toward the center 
of the mass, as shown in plate 2, figure 4. In either case the 
resulting sporont is the same, consisting of a spherical body mes- 
uring about 5.84 in diameter. In this and in all subsequent 
stages up to that of the spore it is extremely difficult to stain 
the nucleus, for the various nuclear stains tried washed out of 
the chromatic material almost if not quite as readily as out of 
the protoplasm. Development, however, seems to progress some- 
what along the following lines: The nuclear matter is at first 
diffuse and may undergo depuration, for in some cases small 
granules of more deeply staining chromatic matter can be seen 
near the surrounding cell membrane. The sporont continues 
to grows till it reaches a diameter of nearly 10u at which period it 
becomes evident that the the nucleus has undergone three suc- 
cessive binary divisions, since in medium sized sporonts there 
are indications of four masses of chromatic matter (pl. 2, fig. 6) 
while in the largest there are eight readily visible globular bodies 
(pl. 2, fig. 7). When these ripe sporonts are dissected out, their 
constricting membrane at first still surrounds the eight con- 
tained sporoblasts, for such are the globular bodies within them. 
Very soon, however, this membrane splits and liberates the small 
ageregate of sporoblasts (pl. 2, figs. 9 and 10), which now readily 
stain and show a dense central mass with a strong affinity for 
haematoxylin. The now detached membrane (fig. 8) is seen to 
contain a little surplus protoplasm and also often a few grains 
of chromatic material. Normally, however, this membrane per- 
sists till the complete spores are formed, when it dissolves, as 
I infer from the fact that in none of the sections were there 
detached membranes among the liberated spores. 
Sporoblasts. ‘The mature sporoblast measures about 3y in 
diameter. Its nuclear matter could not be differentiated by any 
of the stains used, but the protoplasm stained deeply with haema- 
toxylin (pl. 2, fig. 10). As the sporoblast matures, a vacuole 
appears in the center of the protoplasm (fig. 13) and travels 
