﻿Merriman: 
  Conjugation 
  of 
  Spirogyra 
  ternata 
  19 
  

  

  two 
  sexes. 
  This 
  relative 
  position 
  was 
  even 
  maintained 
  when 
  

   S. 
  ternata 
  conjugated 
  with 
  the 
  much 
  larger 
  species 
  present. 
  

   Whether 
  a 
  large 
  9 
  cell 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  united 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  cf 
  cell 
  

   of 
  S. 
  ternata 
  (the 
  two 
  differing 
  by 
  32 
  50 
  n 
  in 
  cell 
  width), 
  or 
  

   whether 
  a 
  large 
  cf 
  cell 
  conjugated 
  with 
  a 
  smaller 
  9 
  cell 
  of 
  S. 
  

   ternata, 
  this 
  same 
  relative 
  position 
  of 
  sexes 
  was 
  maintained.. 
  The 
  

   9 
  thread, 
  whether 
  larger 
  or 
  smaller, 
  was 
  always 
  seen 
  to 
  occupy 
  

   the 
  outer 
  position 
  in 
  the 
  curve. 
  

  

  Studies 
  will 
  be 
  presented 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  curvatures 
  maintained 
  

   in 
  cases 
  of 
  triple 
  and 
  quadruple 
  combinations 
  of 
  threads. 
  Many 
  

   examples 
  were 
  studied 
  where 
  one 
  cT 
  filament 
  is 
  conjugating 
  with 
  

   two 
  9 
  filaments 
  and, 
  reciprocally, 
  where 
  one 
  9 
  filament 
  is 
  con- 
  

   jugating 
  with 
  two 
  cf 
  filaments. 
  Frequently 
  a 
  9 
  cell 
  was 
  found 
  

   conjugating 
  successfully 
  with 
  a 
  cf 
  cell 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  while 
  the 
  cf 
  cell 
  

   on 
  the 
  other 
  side, 
  though 
  the 
  conjugating 
  tube 
  had 
  forrhed, 
  

   showed 
  only 
  abortive 
  conjugating. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  such 
  an 
  abor- 
  

   tively 
  conjugating 
  cell 
  it 
  is 
  important 
  to 
  note 
  that 
  the 
  constant 
  

   and 
  marked 
  inequalities 
  in 
  the 
  distances 
  of 
  the 
  transverse 
  walls, 
  

   seen 
  in 
  normally 
  conjugating 
  cf 
  cells, 
  were 
  never 
  exhibited. 
  Ex- 
  

   cept 
  for 
  its 
  projecting 
  tube 
  the 
  abortively 
  conjugating 
  cf 
  cell, 
  in 
  

   the 
  measurements 
  between 
  its 
  transverse 
  walls, 
  accords 
  more 
  with 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  of 
  the 
  normally 
  conjugating 
  9 
  cell 
  than 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  

   the 
  normally 
  conjugating 
  cf 
  cell. 
  Abortive 
  conjugation 
  in 
  

  

  Spi 
  

  

  gyra 
  has 
  been 
  previously 
  reported 
  by 
  Bessey 
  (i), 
  Robertson 
  (5) 
  

   and, 
  more 
  recently, 
  by 
  Cunningham 
  (3). 
  

  

  The 
  work 
  of 
  Riddle 
  (4) 
  on 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  sex 
  in 
  pigeons 
  has 
  at 
  

   suggestive 
  bearing 
  upon 
  these 
  observations 
  made 
  on 
  conjugating 
  

   Spirogyra. 
  He 
  states, 
  as 
  a 
  

  

  ogyra. 
  He 
  states, 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  his 
  extensive 
  experiments, 
  

   that 
  sexual 
  differentiation 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  interpreted 
  as 
  the 
  expression 
  

   of 
  quantitative 
  dififerences 
  in 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  protoplasmic 
  activities, 
  

   the 
  more 
  active 
  metabolism 
  resulting 
  in 
  males. 
  With 
  a 
  low 
  level 
  

   of 
  metabolism 
  in 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  associated 
  large 
  size 
  of 
  yolk, 
  low 
  

   percentage 
  of 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  yolk, 
  high 
  percentage 
  of 
  stored 
  material, 
  

   and 
  a 
  high 
  total 
  of 
  stored 
  energy. 
  His 
  review 
  of 
  the 
  literature 
  

   shows 
  evidence 
  of 
  a 
  relation 
  between 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  metabolism 
  and 
  

   sex 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  animals, 
  ranging 
  from 
  worms 
  to 
  man. 
  

   Although 
  his 
  work 
  and 
  conclusions 
  relate 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  animal 
  

   kingdom 
  he 
  makes 
  the 
  conjecture 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  

  

  