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GARY N. CALKINS 



some five, some four, others three, and still others only two. 

 The minmium number, apparently, is two; this is the number 

 present during reconstruction of the nuclear apparatus after 

 conjugation and the number that undergo the second matura- 

 tion division. That some micronuclei disappear by absorption 



Figs. 16, 17 and IS Second division of macronuclei, eight and twelve micro- 

 nuclei. X 800. 



during vegetative stages is evident from the not infrequent pres- 

 ence of faintly staining ghosts of micronuclei. That some divide 

 and others fail to divide is evident in some cases. That reduc- 

 tion in number is due to fusion or coalescence is not .supported by 

 evidence of any kind. I should interpret the variation in num- 

 ber, therefore, as due to absorption and irregular division, but 

 not to fusion. 



