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Spermatogenesis of the Hive Bee (Apis mellifiea). 
By L. Doncaster, M. A. 
With 5 Figures. 
In the “Anat. Anz.” for 1904 (Bd. 24, p. 29), Mevzs gave a short 
account of the spermatogenesis of the Hive Bee, and described a sort 
of polar body formation which resulted in each primary spermatocyte 
giving rise to only one spermatid, instead of four as is commonly the 
case. His statements as to the number of chromosomes were not quite 
clear, so it seemed to me worth while to repeat his observations and — 
study more exactly the behaviour of the chromosomes. The young 
pupae and larvae were kindly given me by Mr. C. Bocock, of Ashley — 
Apiaries, Newmarket; the testes were preserved with FLEMMING’s and 
HerMAnn’s fluids and stained with iron haematoxylin or safranin. 
According to Meves, the nucleus of the primary spermatocyte 
breaks up into 16 chromosomes; I should prefer to say that there 
are 8 double chromosomes, or 8 pairs of chromosomes (Fig. 1). The 
chromosomes differ slightly in size and in the prophase of the first 
mitotic figure they are always arranged more or less regularly in pairs, 
the two members of a pair being alike in size. The first mitosis is 
never completed, and the nucleus with the 8 pairs of chromosomes 
returns to a semi-resting condition. A minute bud of cytoplasm is 
given off from the cell (Mrvss’ first polar body), but in some of my 
preparations I have failed to find this bud, and am inclined to believe 
that it is not always formed. 
A fresh spindle then arises, and the 8 double chromosomes ar- 
range themselves in the equatorial plate (Fig. 2). The spindle is very 
large, extending completely across the cell, and sometimes one end of 
it appears to be continued as a narrow process extending from the 
cell (Fig. 3). The double chromosomes then divide into their consti- 
tuent halves, so that 8 single chromosomes travel to each pole. A 
second bud is then given off from the cell, much more conspicuous 
than the first and containing one end of the spindle with its 8 chromo- 
somes; the rest of the spindle and the chromosomes which have tra- 
velled to the opposite end remain within the cell (Fig. 4). Each group 
