Opalina. 991 
_ 
The endosare spherules stain well intra vitam with neutral red, 
methyl violet, dahlia, and gentian violet. This fact makes it doubtful 
if they are living constituents of the cell. 
The spherules of the endosare are so similar, in all the species 
IT have studied, that no distinctions of size, structure or reaction to 
stains can be described. The questions of the origin, nature and 
function of these spherules will be further discussed after the description 
of the nucleus has been given. 
One must agree with TOnnicus (1898) that there is no indication 
that the endosare spherules are either excretory or parasitic. ‘To 
his interpretation of them as a diffuse macronucleus we will refer 
again. 
Contr & Vaney (1902) believe that the spherules arise in the 
nucleus from chromatin and wander out into the cytoplasm through 
the nuclear membrane. They think that they are similar to zymogen 
granules in gland cells and to yolk nuclei. To this we will return 
again. 
Mater (1903) fails to confirm Ténnices’ description of internal 
structure in the endosare spherules, saying that they are homogeneous. 
It must be that in the sections upon which this statement is based 
the haematoxylin (HarpenHaty’s) was insufficiently extracted (cf. 
Fig. 4). Sufficient extraction of the stain always shows the internal 
structure. 
L&crr & Dusoscg (19040) figure certain apparently similar 
bodies in what seems to be a microgamete of O. saturnalis (my 
Text Fig. XVII, page 338), and their Fig. 3, representing an optical 
longitudinal section of a fwll grown form of this species, shows in 
the endoplasma deeply staining bodies of the right size and form to 
represent endoplasmic spherules, yet these authors say that the 
endoplasma is without particular inclusions, though showing here 
and there small spherical vacuoles with very sharp contours. This 
appearance of vacuoles is exactly what is seen after staining with 
borax-carmine, Mayer’s or Devarreny’s haematoxylin, or any of the 
numerous dyes which do not color the endoplasmic spherules. 
Kunstier & Gryeste (1905) interpret the endosarc spherules as 
a “secretory apparatus”. 
NERESHEIMER (1407) did not see any alveolar structure or any 
division stages in the endoplasmic spherules. He suggests that 
Conte & Vaney’s description of the origin of the spherules from 
the nucleus may indicate that they saw the formation of reproductive 
chromidia, a process which Neresnermer describes at length. I feel 
