92 The Neuroglia of the Spinal Cord of the Elephant 
chromatin loosely distributed, usually showing one or two larger masses 
(nucleoli) situated in the midst of smaller granules. When two cells of 
this type occur in adjacent inter-axone spaces, their processes anasto- 
mose, forming a common cytoplasm surrounding the nerve fibers in- 
volved, or rather, perforated by them. This type of cell is of less fre- 
quent occurrence than any of those that follow, and in sections suffi- 
ciently differentiated for the study of the neuroglia fibers, it often 
requires some search to find two near enough together to clearly show 
the fusion of their processes. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate such cases and 
cell ¢ m Figure 4 
b a ~' might be considered as 
presenting the same 
condition in longitu- 
dinal section. 
In thin sections the 
brownish-red cytoplasm 
allows sufficient light 
to pass through it to 
easily observe its struc- 
ture. Examination 
shows that such a cell 
: | may be entirely void 
ae . of neuroglia fibers (Fig. 
a a. | 2, a) or, if fibers. are 
Fra. 2. Small area from transverse section showing two discernible, they OCCHE 
wneuroglia cell” is shown in the three Cases. In the orig- portion (exoplasm) of 
are staied deep blue: the granular cytoplasm of the cells, the cell in close prox- 
dark brownish-red, while the axones and fibrous constitu- SS OV Lats 
ents of their medullary sheaths are colored a pale brown- imity to the nerve 
Ash Fod = act 020: fibers (Figs. 2 and 3, 6). 
The cytoplasm of the processes always appears less compact than 
that more immediately surrounding the nucleus (endoplasm) and in 
the extreme portions of the processes neuroglia fibers can always be 
found, but such appear as continuations of fibers which may be traced 
from confines of the neighboring cells of the more common type. If 
the process is long, i. e., if it may be traced some distance before be- 
coming a part of the domain of another cell, its stainable cytoplasm 
rapidly becomes more and more attenuated till the neuroglia fibers 
alone are to be seen; or, conversely, one of these neuroglia fibers may 
be traced back to the cytoplasm in which it disappears. If the inter- 
axone space occupied by the cell is large, the cell may contain two nuclei. 
