No. 2.] THE OOGENESIS OF BUFO LENTIGINOSUS. 413 
somes (Fig. 33, 34). Inthe later growth stages of the odcytes 
the chromosomes become widely distributed throughout the 
nucleus and they seem to have no definite arrangement, al- 
though it is not unusual to find two chromdsomes paired as in 
Fig. 43, or two chromosomes crossed as in Fig. 40. 
In a previous paper (King, 49) I have shown that, at the 
time the germinal vesicle is about to break down in prepara- 
tion for the maturation mitoses, the twenty-four chromosomes 
come together forming twelve pairs. The chromosomes of 
a pair are of the same length, but there is considerable dif- 
ference in the lengths of the chromosomes of the various pairs. 
At this time “two of the chromosomes may be united in the 
form of an X or Y, a single or double figure eight, or they 
may lie parallel for a part of their length and the ends inter- 
twine in various ways.” At a slightly later period the ends of 
each pair of chromosomes unite forming a closed ring. Im- 
mediately following this stage the chromosomes apparently 
break up into granules and, owing to the changes occurring in 
the nuclear substance preparatory to the formation of the 
first polar spindle, it is impossible to trace the chromatin for 
a short period. When the polar spindle forms a large number 
of rounded chromatin granules are found near it which soon 
fuse into several irregular clumps from which the reduced 
number of chromosomes (12) is formed. 
It is unfortunate that the chromatin cannot be traced during 
the period of the formation of the first polar spindle since it 
thereby becomes impossible to identify the chromosomes of the 
first polar spindle with the chromosomes that are found in 
the odcyte_previous to the disintegration of the germinal 
vesicle. If, however, the chromosomes can maintain their indj- 
viduality in the resting nuclei of the odgonia and of the young 
odcytes when the chromatin is in the form of minute granules 
which are scattered irregularly along a linin meshwork or 
distributed on the nuclear membrane, I see no reason why they 
should be considered to lose that individuality when they 
break up into granules at the beginning of the maturation 
period. After all it may be through the linin that the morpho- 
