314 KING. [Vol. XVII. 



that the spindle poles in eggs taken from the body cavity show 

 no traces of the radiation found by Sobotta ('95), Wheeler ('97), 

 Kostanecki ('98), and Korschelt at the poles of the first polar 

 spindle when it is preparing for the cutting off of the first polar 

 body. There may be a small amount of cytoplasm containing 

 a few pigment granules at the spindle poles, but there is no 

 marked accumulation of either protoplasm or pigment as has 

 been described by Born ('92) and Michaelis ('97). 



The spindle migrates towards the upper surface of the Q^g 

 with its poles at right angles to the direction of the movement 

 (Fig. 28). There is a quick turning when the periphery is 

 reached, so that the spindle lies either radially or slightly 

 oblique to the surface when it is ready to give off the first 

 polar body. 



3. The First Polar Division. 



At the upper pole of eggs taken from the body cavity there 

 is usually seen a small, round, well-defined area which appears 

 white in contrast to the dark pigment around it. To this area 

 Prevost and Dumas ('24) gave the name " Cicatricula," and von 

 Baer ('34), " Keimpunkt." After the polar divisions are com- 

 pleted, Fick divides this " light-spot " into two portions ; a 

 small depression at or near the center, which he believes to be 

 caused by the pressure of the first polar body, is called " Rich- 

 tungsdelle," and the term " Fovea Germinativa," as used by 

 Max Schultze ('63), is considered to apply only to this portion 

 and not to the whole area, as several writers have stated. To 

 the remainder of the structure Fick gives the name " Rich- 

 tungsfleck." 



Newport ("51) considered the Cicatricula to be the outlet of a 

 canal passing from the exterior to the germinal vesicle, caused 

 by an imperfect closing of the "yelk-cells" around the vesicle. 

 Schultze, with whom Fick agrees, has advanced a very simple 

 explanation that the Cicatricula is at first due to the presence 

 of the germinal vesicle at the periphery of the &%%, the pigment 

 being still kept out of this region after the breaking down of the 

 vesicle by the diffused portions of the disintegrating nuclear sub- 

 stance. I cannot but agree with Jordan that this explanation 



