Germ Cells of Leptinotarsa Signaticollis. 151 



of Leptinotarsa dissected out in saline solution, but have been unable 

 to detect peristalsis. If it does occur, the action is so slow that 

 it is not readily perceptible to the eye. The irregular outline of the 

 egg at this time points to amoeboid movement as the motive force, 

 although fresh preparations revealed no such movement, but here 

 again it may be so slow as to elude detection. 



The Nutrition of the Egg 



At the end of the division period (Fig. 8), the ovogonium is 

 nearly all nucleus: the cytoplasm being very small in amount, and 

 pale and almost transparent. With the beginning of the growth 

 process, the cytoplasm undergoes a complete change, taking on a 

 granular appearance and staining deeply. After safranin and 

 lichtgriin, a purplish tint is produced, which is due to the com- 

 bined color effect of a green acid staining reticulum, through 

 which are scattered more or less uniformly small red granules 

 taking the basic stain. From this point the egg increases rapidly 

 in size, and shows no striking changes in the cytoplasm until it 

 reaches the stage shown in Fig. 11. 



The nuclear contents, in the meantime, have undergone con- 

 siderable transformation. The chromatin passes from the spireme 

 stage of Figs. 9, 41, 42, into a delicate irregular thread staining 

 with safranin (Fig. 43), which gradually loses its sharp outline and 

 its affinity for the basic dye, until finally (Fig. 44) it becomes a 

 filmy, feathery, green staining mass, of irregular outline. At the 

 same time a number of rounded basic staining nucleoli make their 

 appearance. 



While the above changes have been taking place a steady stream 

 of nutritive material has been pouring into the egg by way of the 

 egg string. I agree with Kohler ('07) where he states (p. 378) 

 that: ''Die Follikel-epithelzellen leisten keinen Betrag zur 

 Ernahrung der Oocyte, dagegen liegt ihnen die Produktion des 

 Chorionbildung materials ob." This conclusion that the follicle 

 cells are concerned with the production of the egg envelopes 

 is in keeping with the view of their origin from the cells of the ovar- 

 iole stalk, since the latter from the very beginning show in their 



JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY. — VOL. 21, NO. 2. 



