212 RICHARD ASSHETON. 



In three of the specimens there may be seen a deeply 

 stained spot, resembling the chromatin of the nuclei, either in 

 one of the spherical masses or amidst the general detritus. 



Fig. 6 represents the above condition in its most obvious 

 phase. This is a section of a specimen with sixteen segments. 

 There was nothing in its outward appearance to suggest that 

 it was in any way abnormal. The segments are approxi- 

 mately of the same size and of similar colour. The chroraatin- 

 like granules in the interior resembled a nucleus more closely 

 than in the other specimens. 



In the other three specimens the condition of the zona led 

 me to think that the preserving fluid had not perhaps reached 

 them, or had not acted efficiently for some other reason, 

 although the general form of the embryo itself seen as a whole 

 presented no feature of abnormality. Fig. 23 shows the 

 appearance of one of those which were made up of fifteen 

 segments. 



I cannot give any explanation of the fragments of cells seen 

 within the segmentation cavity, nor of the origin of the nucleus- 

 like body. Nor can I offer any suggestion for the absence of 

 the difference in colour between tlie several segments which 

 is so marked in fig. 7, and again in a later stage containing 

 thirty segments (fig. 8), to which I shall refer presently. 



I had one other specimen between the specimens just de- 

 scribed and this one which had about twenty-five segments. 

 In this there was no central cavity ; but I do not think that 

 there was any marked difference either in the size or the 

 colour of the segments. It was unfortunately very feebly 

 stained, and in trying to remedy the defect I lost it. 



Instead of the uncertainty which surrounds the interpreta- 

 tion of the last four specimens, namely, those between the 

 eight- segment and twenty-five-segment stages, I have now to 

 deal with a short period in which the embryos are quite dia- 

 grammatic in their clearness. 



In a thirty-cell specimen obtained from the uterus of a sheep 

 of four days there can be no question as regards the difi'er- 

 ence between certain segments. Six are larger tlian the rest, 



