288 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. VIII, 
The vital staining of the live cells with Janus Green did not 
prove to be a very satisfactory method. The cells showed the 
honeycombed nucleus very clearly but the color reaction for the 
mitochondrial granules was destroyed by the yellow tint of the 
cytoplasm. However, the mitochondria could be made out as 
masses of blue-green granules and filaments. The best strength 
for the Janus Green (Grubler) proved to be one part in one 
hundred thousand used in equal amounts with the body fluid. 
A feature of these mitochondrial filaments is that they are 
often grouped around a central vertex. The vertex is analogous 
to and usually in alignment with the vertices of the honeycomb. 
It was found possible to measure the angles around these points 
when both arms lay in the same optical plane. The angular 
measurements fell into two distinct groups: (1) Angles approach- 
ing sixty degrees as a maximum, and (2) a lesser group of angles 
with an average measure of one hundred and ten degrees. 
Between four and five hundred actual measurements were taken 
from about twenty-five slides, from as many different individual 
larve. 
Let us consider these data speculatively. From these two 
angles there can be constructed a hypothetical framework that 
is ideal from a structural point of view. The unit of such a 
structure is a tetrahedron. All the angles in one plane in an 
equilateral tetrahedron are of sixty degrees. The only other 
angle found in a structure of such units is of one hundred and 
eight degrees. Any attempt to conjure up a generalized or 
ideal structural basis of protoplasm is a piece of pure fancy. 
Yet the angles of the cenocytes fall in with such a plan and the 
honeycomb structure of the nucleus follows exactly the same 
lines. 
It must be born in mind that the existence of any archi- 
tectural basis of protoplasm is still a mooted question. This 
paper is purely speculative to the extent that it is based on 
the hypothesis that such a structure does exist. The object in 
taking this for granted is to show by the apparent figures in the 
cenocytes what would be the simplest character of such a 
structure. That these peculiar geometrical figures exist is plain 
to be seen. Whether they have a structural function is open to 
question. Their geometrical formation might be taken as 
indirect evidence of such a function. One of the remarkable 
